


Aftermath

by Daxmvarg



Series: Fire Emblem Fates: A Tale of Two Royals [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Attempted Suicide, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-01-23 17:21:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 94,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18554329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daxmvarg/pseuds/Daxmvarg
Summary: Hey guys, so On FF.net, I'm already on Arc 4, and I sorta forgot that AO3 existed eve though I've been lurking on here, but I'm going to need ideas for arc 4, since it'll be mainly fluff. Just shoot me a few writing prompts, topics, or ideas for future chapters, because I am not a very creative person





	1. Chapter 1

" _ **The Barrier Wa**_ _r, later dubbed as_ _ **The Invisible War**_ _by historians due to the massive numbers of proxy battles instigated by Valla without the nation ever revealing itself, was the defining event of the century in all three kingdoms. In total, the Invisible War resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. Valla, especially, suffered due to over 95% of the population being wiped out and turned into footsoldiers by Anankos._

_In total, the number of lives lost during the almost 36-year long war numbered in the millions, with 11 million being the largest estimated number. It is difficult to count casualties due to the convoluted military tactics and political disagreements occurring during The Barrier War._

_For simplicity's sake, we will simply refer to The Barrier War as the series of proxy conflicts orchestrated by Valla while The Invisible War refers to the entire conflict as a whole, though it may also refer to the military operation of the same name (For more information on the military operation, please turn to page 823), led by_ _**Prince Corrin** _ _**Rheos** _ _of Hoshido and Nohr (For more information on Prince Corrin, please turn to page 842)._

_The Invisible War had its roots starting all the way back during The First War. Though documents from this time period remain in unreadable conditions, most documents recovered all seem to point to the bountiful harvest experienced by Hoshido that year (For more information on Hoshido, turn to page 400)._

_It was also during this period of time that Nohr was undergoing a political and social revolution. In a daring coup that resulted in the deaths of almost all members of the Nohrian royal family,_ _**Prince Xandridas** _ _**Castellos** _ _rose to power (For more information on Prince Xandridas, turn to page 240). He quickly emplaced new laws and taxes on the people, mostly on the working poor and middle class. His reign was not a favorable one, and after a short 8 years, he and all of his sons mysteriously disappeared overnight._

_Thus began a new struggle with power, known as_ _**The Moonlight Coup** _ _(page 243). After another 4 years of fighting, Queen_ _**Tatania Castellos,**  Prince Xandridas' sister, _ _rose to power. Like her predecessor, she also immediately placed taxes and proceeded to exploit the lower class in order to improve relationships among the nobility. While Queen Tatania's reign was seen more favorably by the working class due to all of her actions having clear or direct benefits towards them, she was overthrown in yet another coup when she emplaced a new tax on alcohol. Though she eliminated most of her initial rivals, those who managed to escape eventually resurfaced and staged a coup, eventually executing Queen Tatania and all her children through beheading._

_And so began yet another period of civil war within Nohr. This period of unrest, known as_ _**The Concubine Wars** _ _, which was characterized by the massive numbers of royal children and royal concubines being murdered, more often than not by other concubines and their children in their desperate bid for power. It was during this time that, in typical Nohrian fashion, another heir was appointed to the throne, this time_ _**King** _ _**Garon** _ _**Aurelius** _ _(For more information on King Garon, turn to page 278)._

_Unlike his previous two predecessors, King Garon took a more enlightened approach to appeasing the angry people. Instead of taxing the working class heavily so that he could focus on strengthening Nohr's economy, he introduced a never-before-seen system of taxation known as a progressive tax._

_A progressive tax is a tax that imposed lower tax rates on low-income earners compared to those with higher income, making it based on the taxpayer's ability to pay. That means it takes a larger percentage from the nobles and high-income earners than it does from low-income earners._

_Such a system was praised as being one of Garon's best actions during his long reign (XX30-XX85), though there were many other additions and changes Garon made to Nohr as a whole, including strengthening the military, inputting a proper monetary value, and most famously, declaring a 'cold war' against Hoshido._

_Despite the relative prosperity brought upon Nohr by Garon's actions, Nohr was still undergoing one of the worst economic depressions it had ever seen, partly due to the lasting effects of The Concubine Wars. Due to a series of magically-induced explosions raging across the country in all of the nation's banks, the economy suddenly plummeted, and with it, birth rates and food supplies._

_It was during this time that historians hypothesized that_ _**Anankos** _ _, one of the First Dragons, came to power in Valla, overthrowing its previous ruler and subjugating the peoples to horrors survivors have yet to describe. According to the few who willingly gave away this information, Anankos slowly started to descend into madness, destroying Brightwood Forest, sealed Valla away from the rest of the world, placed a curse upon the nation's name that killed whoever spoke it, wiped all traces of Valla from history, which explains Valla's mysterious nature despite it being the youngest out of the three nations, and killed their king,_ _**Theophilus Rheos** _ _(For more information on the Rheos family, turn to page 813)._

_What followed was a series of plagues, droughts, and foot shortages. Shortly afterwards, Anankos launched a massive invasion against the people of Valla in what survivors would call '_ _**The Decimation** _ _.' Of the 1.2 million people living in Valla when Anankos invaded, nearly 99% of those people were either killed, used as experiments and training dummies, or simply turned into undead soldiers for Anankos' own personal use._

_It is roughly estimated that the remaining 10,000 Vallites managed to cross into our world safely, though by the time The Invisible War ended, only a mere 2,000 remained alive. It is hypothesized that most of the survivors integrated themselves in The Barrier War, where most of them were either killed in the combat or picked off my assassins sent by Anankos to our world. The rest most likely died due the aforementioned curse placed on Valla's name that killed the speaker whenever they mention Valla's name…"_

"Eight-forty-two, huh?"

" _ **Prince Corrin Rheos**_ _(n_ _ée Aurelius and Minamoto) was a Hoshidan prince kidnapped and raised in Nohr. He was one of history's few 'stable' manaketes and was the one who led the combined forces of Nohr and Hoshido against Anankos' forces. After a brutal military campaign in Valla, he was praised as a hero. Shortly afterwards, he was married to a woman so mysterious, only her name,_ _ **Azura**_ _, is known._

_Born in XX62, he was secretly kidnapped by Nohr during the Barrier War for use as a potential hostage. In response, Hoshido quickly captured one of King Garon's many daughters._

_This same daughter would, coincidentally, become Prince Corrin's future wife. While there are few records of his spouse besides mentions of how she was the last member of Valla's royal family, the Rheos, both were hailed as heroes following The Invisible War. (For more information and theories brought up by historians, please turn to Page 852)…_

"Eight…five…two…"

There was almost nothing on Azura. All the page contained was a single portrait portraying a young-looking woman with beautiful golden eyes and long azure hair. The picture was yellowed and stained by time, and a short paragraph underneath it read:

" _There are almost no official records or stories of Azura from after the Invisible War. Besides a few scattered documents of her marriage to Prince Corrin Rheos, she remains a historical history. She was supposedly such a mysterious figure that later generations wondered if she truly existed at all, or if she was merely a spirit sent by the gods in human form. This is the only known picture of her that clearly showed her appearance."_

"That's…it? That's all they have on her?"

"Aha! Found you! You like what you're reading there?"

The boy jumped as the Lorekeeper stepped out from behind the corner, a gentle smile slashing through his long, white beard. Despite his age, he still walked as tall and strongly as men half, no, a third—a  _fifth_  of his age. His voice was deep and silky smooth, yet they contained enough of his past youth for those who visited The Records to smile at the hint of boyishness in his demeanor whenever he rarely decided to engage with visitors."

"Sort of," the boy replied. "But I feel like some things are missing here."

The Lorekeeper frowned slightly. "That's unlikely. To my knowledge, there are only a few topics that is not annexed in the Sevenfold Sanctuary. What's missing, hm?"

In response, the boy showed the Lorekeeper the open book with the picture of the woman. The Lorekeeper's red eyes widened as he gently ran his finger over the woman's visage. "Azura…"

"Hm? What was that?" the boy asked.

The Lorekeeper shook his, clearing his thoughts. "Ah, yes, do forgive me. I'm afraid that in my old age, I'm prone to occasional misfits and bouts of absentmindedness. It seems this…was one of those times."

"Don't worry," the boy said, smiling. "That's why I'm here, aren't I? To remind you of mistakes in your collection."

The Lorekeeper smiled back and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "One day, Corrin, one day. One day, you'll replace me as the new Lorekeeper if you continue your studies underneath me, but until then, how about I treat you to a little…well, treat?"

"What kind of treat are we talking about?" Corrin asked excitedly. "Don't tell me it's the aquarium section again."

The Lorekeeper chuckled as he patted the boy's back. "Oh, no, it's not that. It'll  _never_  be that again. What happens in the aquarium section  _stays_  in the aquarium section. I know part of the reason you decided to come here to Notre Sagesse was so that you can learn more about this world, and for one to survive the trials at such a young age…well, I'm afraid I've been keeping more things from than I should have."

Corrin frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly solemn, the Lorekeeper looked at Corrin in the eyes. "Listen, when the clock strike midnight tonight, come find me in The Records Hall. There's something I need to tell you…"

* * *

" _RISE, HUMAN."_

Iago's eyes snapped open. He was lying face down in a field of what felt like grass. As he slowly rose, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw that he was lying in a field of lush grass stretching in all directions. There were no mountains, no trees, no rocks. Just grass, grassy hills, and a low, rolling fog.

Iago looked down at his hands, which were still whole and attached, despite the painful memory of that whelpling crown prince's blow lopping off both his hands and head. Suddenly, it came to him.

" _I'm alive?"_  he said to himself. Sure enough, when his hands reached up to his neck, his neck was whole again, seamless.

Iago crouched low to the ground as he felt a great weight shake the ground. Around him, the fog turned into a poisonous shade of purple, and Iago instinctively reached into his coat pocket for his tome, only to realize that a) he was still naked, and b) he could not cast even the most rudimentary spells, the spells that required no tomes or staffs to cast.

" _DON'T EVEN BOTHER,_ " the rumbling voice growled again. " _IF I, A DRAGON, COULD NOT BREAK THIS PLACE'S ANTI-MAGIC AURA, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK_   _THAT YOU, A MERE HUMAN, COULD SUCCEED WHERE I COULD NOT?"_

Iago whimpered as a massive shadow overcame him, and he dropped to his knees as a massive dragon with a face he knew all too well landed a mere few meters away from him.

" _IAGO,_ " Anankos greeted. " _I HAVE NEED OF YOUR SERVICES ONCE AGAIN."_

Iago hastily dropped to one knee and bowed his head , remembering the countless hours he had spent making sure his ettiquete around Anankos was spotless. " _Y-yes, milord? What do you require of me?"_

Anankos' massive eye orb slowly descended to Iago's level as those horrible orange eyes centered themselves around him, bathing his body in an orange light.

" _DESPITE MY EFFORTS, I HAVE FALLEN,"_  Anankos said simply. " _THOSE WHELPS GOT THE BEST OF ME, AND FOR MY OVERSIGHT, I HAVE LOST."_

" _L-lost?"_  Iago repeated, trembling. " _B-but everything went according to our—to your plan! I even sacrificed my life for you!"_

" _AND THE TIME HAS COME WHERE I HAVE NEED OF YOUR LOYALTY ONCE AGAIN, IAGO,"_ Anankos said. " _YOU WILL BE MY WEAPON. YOU WILL BE MY TOOL. YOU WILL BE MY REVENGE. TORMENT THAT PATHETIC WRETCH, CORRIN. KILL HIS MATE AND CRACK HIS EGGS.I WILL NOT DIE KNOWING THAT MY MORTAL ENEMY, MAN, HAS MANAGED TO OUTLIVE ME, A FIRST DRAGON."_

" _B-but how?_ " Iago asked. " _If you say that you failed, and if I was killed, then how are we supposed to strike back against Corrin? Not saying that I wouldn't do anything for you—I would—but without an obvious way for us to escape this…this place, what are we supposed to do?"_

Anankos rumbled deeply in the back of his throat as he massive head rose up, looking all around himself. " _I HAVE DECIDED THAT IN ORDER FOR CORRIN TO SUFFER, I WILL USE THE LAST OF MY POWER TO SEND YOU BACK TO THE DRAGON REALMS. THE PROCESS WILL NOT BE…PLEASANT. ALL I REQUIRE OF YOU IS YOUR FREEDOM ONCE AGAIN."_

" _I thought you said you couldn't break this place's anti-magic aura?"_  Iago asked.

That was a mistake.

" _ARE YOU DOUBTING YOUR MASTER'S ABILITY TO CAST MAGIC THE LIKES OF WHICH EVEN THE OTHER DRAGONS FEARED?"_  Anankos raged. " _NOTHING, NOT EVEN THIS PITHY BARRIER SPELL WILL PREVENT ME FROM EXACTING REVENGE ON THAT WHELP!"_

Iago immediately averted his gaze as his memory flashed back to the day Anankos came. He had only been a teenager when he saw his parents and sister incinerated in one of Anankos' raging infernos, only for them to revive again. At the time, he had been overjoyed to see his family again, but when they reached out towards him and threatened to crush his throat, to add his soul to Anankos', he felt…something break inside him.

He remembered the desperate, month-long trek towards the last body of water that he knew of in Valla, only for Anankos to capture him as easily as a cat would catch a crippled rat. He had set up his puppet guards around every body of water and he foolishly tried to force his way past them, confident his magical skills would aid him in his escape.

He had been wrong.

He remembered those dark months spent in Castle Gyges' dungeons, those cold, dead eyes prodding at his body with every instrument of death available. He had tried to fight at first, he cursed Anankos' name and all that he stood for, but it wasn't long before his will broke.

Iago wasn't sure why Anankos had decided to spare him his life and soul. Perhaps it was because he was one of the few survivors of Valla's coup who had some worth as a mage and martial skill. Maybe it was because of his ability to use dark magic, despite his young age. But most likely, it was Iago's hasty surrender once he realized he couldn't win without dying, and that even when he died, he lost.

Was he a coward? Yes. Was it really all that wrong though? He was still alive, which was more than what most of Valla's population could say. He didn't want to turn into…into those puppets! Those  _things_ , those godawful undead abominations with no souls, memories, or wills of their own.

If he was going to remain a slave for the rest of his life, however long that may be, he would rather spend his days with his soul intact than to die knowing his body would live longer than him. And so he swore fealty to Anankos.

Did he betray Valla? Yes, possibly. But was it worth fighting against something that couldn't be beaten? Life was just a fine game of balance, and Iago decided he would rather live a life filled with balance and order rather than unbalance and chaos.

And besides, Anankos' plan, while gruesome, did have some merits. Every time he looked outside the palace windows during his studies, he could see the poor starving on the streets while those more fortunate spent their days eating, stuffing their faces with whatever food at their disposal. It made Iago's blood boil, knowing that had his ability to use magic remained hidden, he would've been like one of those beggars on the streets, eating the trash the nobles threw at them out of sheer desperation.

"This is all because of overpopulation!" Iago raged during on of their lessons. A week prior to that lesson, Anankos had just destroyed Brightwood Forest, and starvation rates were at an all time high. A week ago, one of Iago's cousins died due to starvation.

"It's all because there's nothing regulating the amount of power the upper class has! If we had, like, some sort of greater power who could decide who deserved to live or die based solely on their merit and not their wealth, then literally every problem in this city would be solved!"

Fate had a cruel sense of humor. His classmates laughed at him, and less than a day later, he found all of his belongings tossed out of his dormitory and onto the trashed streets he so wanted to help. An hour later, he found himself tossed out of the academy.

Less than a month later, Anankos would rain hell and brimstone down on Valla's population, killing over ten thousand the first day. The second, twenty thousand. The survivors were scattered, and those who were too poor or unlucky enough to escape or survive the initial attack were converted into Faceless. Involuntarily.

Not Iago though. After he was caught, he spent less than a day in the cell before swearing fealty to Anankos, and ever since, his belief that it was just survival, that anyone in his position would do it, became easier and easier to believe.

" _I-I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"_ Iago begged. " _Have mercy! I meant no disrespect!"_

Anankos huffed, tired of Iago's behavior. " _AS MUCH AS MY DRACONIC BLOOD WISHES TO KILL YOU, I SHALL NOT. YOU ARE THE LAST KNOWN REMAINING MEMBER OF MY AVATARS, OF MY PEOPLE BESIDES THAT RHEOS WOMAN, AND SO I SHALL USE YOU TO EXACT REVENGE UPON MY ENEMIES. AT THE PRICE OF YOUR FREEDOM ONCE AGAIN, I CAN GRANT BOTH OF US THE OPPURTUNITY TO STRIKE DOWN THAT WHELPLING, CORRIN. ALL I REQUIRE OF YOU IS YOUR FREEDOM."_

" _M-my freedom?"_  Iago asked. " _I-I don't—"_

" _EXACTLY WHAT I SAID,"_  Anankos said, looking at Iago with one eye. " _I'VE TAKEN YOUR FREEDOM ONCE BEFORE, WHEN I CAPTURED YOU. BINDING OATHS AND FEALTIES ARE ONLY APPLICABLE IN LIFE, AND WITH YOUR DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THAT NOHRIAN PRINCE, YOUR OATHS DIED WITH YOU. SWEAR FEALTY TO ME AGAIN, AND I SHALL GRANT YOU THE POWER TO TORMENT CORRIN AS YOU SEE FIT. YOU WILL LIVE ONCE AGAIN, AS A HUMAN, AND NOT AS ONE OF MY AVATARS."_

Iago dropped to his knee once again without hesitation. " _I-I, Iago, solemnly swear my undying loyalty and allegiance towards you, Lord Anankos, and your causes from hereon forward,"_ he said, the words rolling effortlessly off his tongue _. "Shall I fail in my task, I understand that my life, as well as everything I own, will be forfeit and bound to you in blood, oath, and life."_

Why wouldn't he accept such an offer? He would receive the ability to make that naivete of a prince suffer, but most importantly, he would be able to live again! He had been robbed of his life by an unjust cause. In any case, there are many things much worse than death. Because of it, he didn't bother asking Anankos how he would punish him if he did fail, and tried to put the thought out of his mind entirely.

" _GOOD…"_  Anankos said quietly. " _BEFORE I REVIVE YOU AND PASS INTO THE VOID, THERE IS ONE LAST THING YOU MUST KEEP IN MIND."_

" _Milord?"_

" _THAT WHELP WILL UNDOUBTEDLY REMEMBER YOU AND YOUR VISAGE, ALONG WITH MANY OF HIS ALLIES. TO CIRCUMVENT THAT, I WILL…ARRANGE YOUR DISGUISE FOR YOU."_

Iago took a step backwards. " _W-wait, what? What do you mean 'arrange?'"_

Anankos' orange eyes flashed, and Iago dropped to the ground, screaming in pain, his hands cupped over his face as an acrid orange smoke drifted upwards. Anankos watched with malice in his eyes as he slowly faded away into nothingness.

" _REMEMBER MY LAST, TAMORA. AVENGE ME. TORMENT THAT WHELP LIKE HE TORTURED ME. KILL HIS MATE, THAT RHEOS WOMAN, AND ALL OF THEIR CHILDREN. FILL THEM AND ALL THEIR CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH TERROR. LET THEM KNOW…ANANKOS WILL RETURN."_

* * *

Corrin winced and raised a bloodied arm to cover his eyes as Anankos' floating eye orb pulsed and leered around at its surroundings grotesquely before disappearing in yet another bright flash of light. He readied his sword arm and gripped the hilt tighter as he stepped forward, determined to put down this version of Anankos before it could do anything.

Though he was still blinded, Corrin could still feel the rhythmic shaking of the ground under him as a Faceless charged toward him. Grunting, Corrin gripped Yato with both hands and swung it behind him. He felt the blade catch on something, and then a stinging liquid splashed onto his bare legs.

Hissing, Corrin dropped Yato and swatted at his legs. Already, an acrid smoke was starting to billow up from them and he risked opening his eyes to see the extent of the damage. He was glad he did.

The moment he opened his eyes, the light obscuring that floating eye orb died, revealing…nothing.

Not trusting the temporary lull, Corrin cursed and hastily scrambled to pick up where he dropped Yato. He pointed the blood-stained weapon at where Anankos' eye orb had been floating in midair a second ago and braced himself for another wave.

First Azura's mother, then Sumeragi, then Gunter, and then his own mother, Corrin could barely keep himself awake for the final fight, but he always managed to pull himself through Anankos' multiple forms, whether they were a masked dragon, a gargantuan unmasked dragon, a purple-flamed robed figure, or even that disturbing multi-eyed orb thing.

Corrin blinked, his red eyes redder than usual from sleep deprivation. He continued pointing Yato at where he had seen Anankos last, the tip shaking ever-so-slightly. It's got to be a trick. It  _has_  to be a trick. There's no way Anankos would've died that quietly. No way.

Around him, the undead soldiers that had once consisted of the group of soldiers assigned to protect him hissed before wobbling and promptly dissipating into water with a sound that sounded like a relieved sigh.

Around him, what few men remained alive lowered their weapons, still wary but hopeful. Not Corrin though. He tightened his grip on Yato even more, his feet spreading themselves into a battle stance, but still, nothing happens.

"Is…is it over?" a sandy-haired archer next to Corrin asked.

"'Dunno Marvin," a Nohrian swordsman replied. "I don't know."

The sky overhead remained dark and the ground ruined, with bits and pieces of it here and there floating haphazardly into the sky, but still, nothing happens.

It was only until a muscle in his legs started to cramp than Corrin loosened his grip on Yato and collapsed to the ground, cursing in pain. As he massaged the part of his leg that was throbbing, his ears pricked up at the sound of bare feet making their way towards him. He looked up to see Azura gliding towards him, her dress torn and bloodied with large ugly bruises appearing in patches around her body.

The limp in her gait told Corrin that she was probably more injured than him, but when he raised his voice to call for a healer, Azura silenced him with a flying hug tackle. Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as Azura's arm wrapped themselves around him, and they fell back together onto the ruined ground.

He let out a muffled groan as he felt Azura's knee poke a particularly sensitive spot on his ribs where a Faceless smashed him with a club. He should've just dodged, but instead elected to stay and block the attack, receiving a broken rib for his troubles.

"Oh! Did I hurt you?" Azura asked, pulling herself away.

"N-no, not really," Corrin lied, gritting his teeth as they sat up together. He looked down slowly as Azura's hand clutched in his, and the two slowly looked back up at each other.

"Is…is it over?" he asked. "Did we beat Anankos? Did we do it?"

Azura gave a nod. "Yes. We did. We won, Corrin. We won."

In all the childhood stories Corrin had read, the moment their victory was assured, all the heroes would abruptly cheer, dropping their weapons and hugging each other in sheer relief. Not these ones. These heroes stand around in vague disbelief for a few seconds before collapsing o the ground in exhaustion.

The heroes in the story always celebrate with all their friends and allies still alive, everyone looking none the worse for wear. Again, not these ones.

Corrin's throat choked up as he cast his eyes about the ruined battlefield. Caeldori and Selena stared stone-faced at a once snow-white Pegasus and its rider. Corrin counted no less than five arrows sticking out of Subaki's chest, and the sky knight's eyes stared up into the stars, unmoving.

In the distance, he saw Xander cradle a woman in his arms. The distance was too great for him to see, but he thought it might've been Peri or Charlotte. Benny gritted his teeth as he tightened the makeshift bandage made out of his undershirt on the stump of his arm before stooping down and picking up a hand. His hand.

All this and more Corrin saw as he looked around the battlefield, and tears of sorrow and rage fell onto the ground beneath him as he looked away from the grisly sight.

Subaki. Kaden. Shura. Azama. Orochi. Reina. Scarlet. Beruka. Effie. Niles. All dead or gravely wounded.

"Hey," Azura said gently, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face towards her. "It's…it's alright. You—"

"I know," Corrin interrupted, wiping his tears away on the back of his hand. "Just…give me a moment."

Azura waited quietly as corrin stared at their bodies, his lips moving in silent apologies. A few minutes passed while Azura watched Corrin, and she couldn't help but notice his hunched posture.

He might've been the bravest person she's ever known. Growing up in Nohr, isolated from everyone. Being forced to choose between Nohr, Hoshido, or her. Forced to fight horrors and terrors only told about in the darkest of horror stories Azura had read. All for her.

If it had been anyone else, Azura undoubtedly would've refused to open herself like that, but with Corrin…he was different.

"They signed up for this," Corrin said suddenly.

"Hm?" Azura asked. "What did you say?"

"I said I know they signed up for this," Corrin said. "I know. I…I just wish I didn't have to actually see it happen."

"I know," Azura said sadly, touching him on the shoulder. "But at least your siblings are still alive."

Corrin sniffed but finally found the courage to look around the battlefield again. Sure enough, most of his family seemed unhurt. Xander and Ryoma, whom he had been with in the thick of the battle, seemed relatively uninjured, though the desolate look in their eyes as they looked at their losses told Corrin more than they would be willing to say.

Leo dropped his head onto his horse's neck, who promptly collapses in exhaustion as well. Elise and Sakura lean on each other, both crying silent tears of relief, joy, sorrow, and exhaustion all rolled into one. Relief because the fight was over. Joy because they were still alive. And sorrow because of the loss of one of their retainers.

Hinoka fell from her Pegasus and would've fallen to her death but Camilla suddenly caught her midair, her lavender-colored hair cut and bloodied in several places. Takumi looked like he had the same thought train as Corrin about the sudden lull being a trap, and kept his arrow trained where Anankos had been. It was only until Oboro gingerly shook him that his eyes rolled into the back of his head and collapsed. But they're still alive.

"You're right," Corrin said, wiping his eyes. "At least they're still alive."

Ignoring the screaming pain in his bones and muscles, Corrin got to his feet, planting Yato's tip into the ground to help himself up. He held a hand out, and Azura stared blankly at it before accepting it.

As Corrin pulled Azura to her feet, she started to cry as well. "What's wrong?" Corrin asked.

"Nothing," Azura said, wiping her eyes. "It's…I don't know how to say this, but thank you."

"For what?" Corrin asked sluggishly.

"For helping me," Azura said, smiling. "I'm so glad I met you, that we managed to accomplish this. Together."

Corrin nodded. "Together."

He gazes at her, and she gazed back at him. He feels so drained, both physically and emotionally, he wanted to curl up and fall asleep and never wake up, but then a hand squeeze from Azura snaps him out of his thoughts.

"We should probably clean ourselves up," she said.

Corrin took another moment to look at Azura. He can't imagine being in her position, living in constant fear and apprehension about a threat only she knew about, and knowing that she was possibly the last of her people. He can't imagine the horrible experiences she had in her life, with the memory of Valla's fall burned indefinitely into her memories and her childhood abuse in Nohr and Hoshido.

"You're…the bravest one here," he croaked.

Azura frowned. "What?"

Corrin pointed a finger tiredly at her. "Living with knowledge of what was coming…being afraid no one would believe you…and…and being rejected by everyone…I can't believe how brave you are."

Azura smiled. "I could say the same for you," she replied simply.

Corrin reached out to touch her face, but Azura decided to one-up him by wrapping herself in his arms. His chest vibrated as Azura muttered some sort of prayer into him, and he thought he heard her mutter, "Mother, father. I did it _. We_  finally did it."

Corrin protectively stroked the back of her head, silently thanking the gods that she was still alive, that the war hadn't taken her as well, that her  _song_  hadn't killed her.

But now was not the time for a breakdown. "Lilith?" he croaks into empty air. "Lilith, you there?"

With a small  _pop_  and a flash of light, the little dragon appeared. He's never sure how she knows when someone is calling for her, but right now, he couldn't find himself to care. It's just a Lilith thing.

The little dragon bobbed up and down amicably as she looked around the battlefield, taking in the destruction and bodies strewn about. "You did it, then?" she asked, sadness tempering her voice for some reason.

Corrin shrugged. "As best as I can tell," he replies, pushing Lilith's odd shift in mood out of his mind. As much as he would like to see her alright, there were already wounded men crying out for help. Without the castle medical staff, he feared they wouldn't last another hour.

Lilith closed her eyes. "I…I don't feel his presence anymore. I think you might've done it."

"Hm…" Corrin said. "Can you take us back to the castle yet, or is Anankos' curse still in effect?"

"I don't think so," Lilith said. "If I was able to create a portal here, it probably means the curse is broken."

"I see," Corrin says simply. A flash of light in the corner of his vision causes his head to turn and he watches as a small orb of light rose up from where Castle Gyges had stood.

Lilith and Corrin both watched it with interest until it suddenly vanished. "What was that?" Corrin asked.

"…I don't know," she replied truthfully. "It might've been Anankos' soul finally departing for the Gray Realm."

"So you know about it too?" Corrin asked.

Lilith gazed at him nervously. "W-what do you mean?" she asked. "Do you—"

"Never mind," Corrin said, waving his hand. In his arms, he could feel Azura fall limp as she drifted off into a natural sleep. "Just take us back to the castle. Please."

Swallowing her questions for later, Lilith created another flash of light on the battlefield. "Of course, Lord Corrin."

* * *

Lilith effortlessly teleports the entire army to the castle's grand hall. Once upon a time, such a feat would've been difficult, if not impossible. With nearly 10,000 men making up the combined Hoshidan-Nohrian army, it would've been difficult to fit all of them even into the castle, and so the two armies had camped on opposite sides of The Bottomless Canyon for over half a year until preparations for the invasion were complete.

Now, with barely over 300 people still alive, fitting everyone into the hall was ridiculously easy, though Corrin would've preferred it to remain difficult. For obvious reasons.

A mass of sweaty bodies, animals, and weapons dropped noisily to the floor. Immediately, the castle staff set about helping those nearest to them. Already, the wives of the soldiers who had stayed behind were echoing noisily through the hall as they found their spouses absent.

Jakob immediately heads off into the kitchen while Flora and Felicia stay in the main hall to help, Flora collecting weapons and armor and Felicia finding bedding for everyone. Lilith drifts idly Above everyone, creating supplies as needed, but more-or-less keeping to herself.

Corrin let Yato fall to the ground as he placed Azura's sleeping body onto a nearby sleeping pad. He would clean his armor and his weapon later, but for now, there were other things to be done that didn't require a sword. He tried to help Jakob and Flora distribute bandages, but the maid simply forced a wad of clean clothing into his hand, and told him to change.

"Felicia and I have taken the liberty of cleaning both your study and treehouse while you were away," she said without skipping a beat. "You may use those as you see fit."

Corrin's eyes widened. "Please don't tell me you touched the 'personal' drawer," Corrin rasped.

Flora smiled. "Don't worry. Felicia and I will never tell anyone about your fascination with mirrors and reflections."

"It's the dragon in me," he grumbled as he stumbled away, making a mental note to give his three servants a hefty raise later that week. "I can't help but get caught up in my own reflections."

At the door leading the courtyard outside the grand hall, Corrin looked back. Azura had disappeared from her bed roll, which Corrin knew he should be concerned about, but with how tired he was, he couldn't find himself caring about anything besides rest.

Already, Sakura and Elise had managed to set up a healing station, despite their exhaustion, and were directing anyone with even the slightest bit of healing experience. The wounded who can't move at all were carried by their friends and made a priority.

Charges for the staves and healing rods are preserved as everyone passes around elixirs, ripping off pieces of clothing and tying them around wounds that don't need magic to be healed. He was about the leave for the bathhouse before he felt a burning pain in his chest, and he collapsed to the floor, coughing blood onto the tiles.

Instantly, Felicia was by his side. "You didn't visit the healers yet?" she asked, already pulling out a healing rod from somewhere in her uniform.

"I…I thought everyone else's wounds looked more serious," he said weakly. "And besides, we don't have a lot of healing items to spare."

"Lord Corrin!" she said, shocked. "You have  _four_  broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a dislocated arm! How can you think you got off easy?"

Corrin was too tired to do much than lie there and listen to Felicia's chatter as she worked on him, peeling off his armor for collection later. Finally done, she carefully helped Corrin to his feet. "You really ought to be more careful!" she reminded him. "Just because the war is over doesn't mean you can't be killed by something as simple as an infection!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he groaned as he made his way to the bathhouse. Thankfully, with everyone in the great hall, he more or less had the entire building to himself, and when he was done, he tiredly climbed the ladder to the treehouse before simply electing to drop face-first onto his bed.

He had barely managed to close his eyes before a trio of knocks sounded at his door. Repressing a huff at being kept from his rest, he got up and made his way to the door.

To his surprise, it was Azura, clad in nothing more than a simple sleeping gown, who stood on the other side. "Azura?" he asked. "W-what're you—"

"I-I was wondering…may I spend the night?" she asked, refusing to look at him but blushing all the same.

Corrin blinked slowly. "With me?"

"…Yes."

Corrin shrugged, too tired to care or try and understand her reasoning. "Go ahead."

He collapsed face-first onto his bed again, but his eyes shot open again as he felt a warm body press against him.

"Azura?" he murmurs questioningly. Not that he was surprised by her boldness—he was—but after everything, did she really want to continue this with him?"

Though she remained quiet, he could feel the embarrassment rolling off of her. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's just…I'm tired, you're warm, and I—"

"Hey, it's okay," he said, shifting his body so that they were chest to chest. He looked into her golden eyes and stroked her head soothingly. "I get it."

And he does. He knows the feeling of wanting someone you trust around after a particularly stressful battle, and that final bout with Anankos had been everything,  _including_  stressful.

"I'm really glad you're still alive," he murmured.

Azura smiled. "Me too," she says, before closing her eyes.

Corrin continued gazing at her. Here he was, lying in bed with the woman he loves. The woman that also happens to be his cousin.

"Azura? Can we talk?"

Instantly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

Corrin sighed and turned so that he was looking up at the ceiling. He put his arms under his head as he sucked on his lips, thinking what the best way to broach the subject was before finally giving up and settling on straightforwardness.

"I want to talk…about us."

Azura propped herself on her elbows. If she kept laying down next to Corrin's warm body, she knew she would fall asleep, but based on the seriousness of Corrin's tone, she knew she could afford to sacrifice rest. At least for a little bit.

"What about us?"

Corrin sighed again but continued to stare at the ceiling. "You know,  _us_. I…I…hm, how do I put this?" He turned his head so he was looking directly into Azura's eyes,

"Do you really want to do this with me?"

"Of course," was Azura's immediate answer. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because we're cousins," Corrin reminded. "I know we talked about this before, in Valla—"

Azura's eyes widened in horror and Corrin instantly clapped his hand over his mouth. A tense moment passed, and when Azura carefully reached out to touch Corrin's bare chest, to make sure he was still there and not a figment of her imagination, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, at least we know the curse is broken," she said.

Corrin also released a sigh of relief. "Yeah," he agreed. "Imagine going through all that only to be killed by a curse cast almost forty years ago."

"You have to be careful, Corrin!" Azura said sharply. "Did you ever think about how I would feel if you suddenly died because of a stupid mistake?"

"Of course I did," Corrin replied, equally sharp. "Did you ever think about telling me about our relationship?"

Instantly, he knew he had hurt her. Azura flinched and averted her gaze, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and looking at the floor. Corrin winced and tried to sit up, but was forced back onto his back when Azura placed a palm flat against his chest.

"I told you outside the castle throne room, and I'll tell you again," Azura said coldly. "I knew Mikoto had a relationship with my mother and that she was of Vallite blood, but I never knew she was my mother's sisters."

Here, Azura's composure started to break. "But if you don't want me because we're related by blood…I understand."

Corrin's eyes widened, and he reached out towards her but was spurned when she leaned away from him. "Azura…"

"I know you hate my habit of keeping secrets," she said softly, "but you have to understand, there are just…some things I can't tell you. I…"

Azura closed her eyes. Perhaps it would be better if they parted. She always knew the chances of seeing this war through to the end alive was very small, but she could also never say no to him. For both of their sakes, she could love him afar.

But when she opened her eyes again and chanced a glance at Corrin's eyes, she could see just how hurt, confused, and lost he was. Unable to lie to both him and herself anymore, she allowed her heart to overflow like it had never done before, letting the words spill from her lips like a river in a flood.

"I know it's wrong, and that this kind of relationship is looked down upon, but I…I just can't! I just can't!"

"Can't what?" Corrin asked softly.

"I can't let go of you!" Tears were now threatening to spill down her face. "All my life, I've asked questions about who I was, what I should do, what I  _could_  do, but never once have I ever asked myself about my love for you! I believe that you and I are tied together by fate, and that fate wanted us to meet. I  _know_  that I've always loved you, and I always will, but…but I could never do anything to you that you didn't want to do."

She would've said more, wanted to say more,  _could've_  said more, but Corrin suddenly pressed his lips against hers. This time, fully.

He begged for entrance, and she granted it at once, weaving her fingers in his hair and breathing in his familiar scent. He gently ran his fingers down to her waist, and she arched her back to his touch. They fell back onto the bed, Azura on top of Corrin, and when they parted, their lips were almost as red as Corrin's eyes.

"Then…then stay with me," Corrin whispered. "I know this kind of relationship is looked down upon, but I would have no one else other than you standing by me when I face this issue. I'm…definitely confused about this whole thing, but you being my cousin changes nothing for me."

Azura cradled his head in her hands, leaving no space between them as he continued. "I'm sorry I made you feel this way," he apologized, "but you have to realize, I was…well, you have to realize that I never  _stopped_ loving you. From the very first moment I saw you by that lake, I knew we were destined to be together. Finding out that we were cousins just…shook things up for me a little bit, but in the end, it changes nothing. I love you more than anything else, and nothing is going to change that."

Azura felt herself choke up as Corrin cupped her cheeks in his hands. "And besides, didn't you say nobility always arranged marriages between cousins to keep the bloodline pure?"

" _Now_  you listen to that?" she asked, trying to not cry again.

"Who cares about us being related by blood?" Corrin asked. "We're only related on the human side, not the dragon side! If you could fall in love with someone like me, I'm pretty sure I can get through this too. But only if you stand by me," he added with that boyish love she had always loved.

How could she not accept a calling card like that? She leaned down and gently pressed her lips against his, feeling his pounding heart under her palm. If there truly was a heaven and a hell, then the only heaven would be this, in his arms, and the only hell would be one without him.

When they parted again, his smile fell away from his face as one of Azura's tears fell onto his cheek. "Please don't cry, Azura," he pleaded.

She smiled happily, allowing the tears to overflow again. "It's not because I'm sad!" she confessed. "I'm crying because…because I'm so glad to have met you."

"And I, you," Corrin said, smiling back.

He was warm underneath her, his very existence lighting a fire in places fires were not meant to be lit, but right now, she didn't even care. "So we're doing this."

"We are," Corrin replied, pulling her down.

"And you're not upset about us being related."

"Only if you decide to leave my side," came the reply she was hoping for.

"You know people will talk."

"Only if they don't that I'm half-dragon" he said playfully.

"That's terrible!" she said, finally breaking in and playfully slapping his chest. "We just got through a war with a dragon! We—I don't need another one!"

Corrin laughed as well as he wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry. I'll never do that to you."

Stifling her giggles, Azura pressed her lips to his cheek before finally resting her head on his chest, over his heart, as if nothing had ever changed between them.

Nothing ever will.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so On FF.net, I'm already on Arc 4, and I sorta forgot that AO3 existed eve though I've been lurking on here, but I'm going to need ideas for arc 4, since it'll be mainly fluff. Just shoot me a few writing prompts, topics, or ideas for future chapters, because I am not a very creative person

" _The Invisible War could refer to either the military operation or the larger, grander event encompassing the Barrier War. For more information on the Invisible War as a whole, please turn to Page 609._

_The Invisible War was a military operation led by_ _**Prince Corrin Rheos** _ _,_ _**Prince Xander Aurelius,** _ _and_ _**Prince Ryoma Minamoto** _ _against the forces of Valla led by_ _**Anankos** _ _. Together, the Three Princes led an army numbering at least 100,000 men and marched into Valla to face Anankos and his undead minions head-on._

_What followed was one of the deadliest military conflict, third only to the entirety of The Barrier War and First War in terms of casualties. Out of the original 100,000 men, only 300 returned alive. Despite Hoshido and Nohr eventually achieving victory against Vallite forces and ushering in a new era of peace, the number of men lost took a drastic toll on the world's populations, especially in Nohr where childbirth rates were still at an all-time low._

_Historians argue whether or not the genocide of The Decimation should be considered as part of the death count, since all those who died as a result of The Decimation returned as Anankos' undead footsoldiers, but others argue that since those civilians were killed long before The Invisible War, they should not count._

_For simplicities sake, in this rendition, we will simply assume that the undead civilian soldiers do not count, as they were already deceased when The Invisible War occurred."_

* * *

" _Welcome back Corrin. Well done."_

Corrin slowly opened his eyes to see Anankos sitting in front of him, the campfire as always, sitting between them. When Anankos gestured towards the ground, Corrin sat cross-legged, mirroring Anankos' own stance. The two of them stared into the depths of the fire, and after what felt like several minutes, he noticed that something about the fire was…off.

While the flame burned as brightly as ever, it seemed…smaller somehow, as if it was fading away.

They spent another few moments staring at the fire before Corrin shifted his leg to prevent it from falling asleep. The simple motion caused Anankos to look up.

" _So, you finished me off,"_  he said simply.

Corrin nodded silently, still staring deep into the depths of the fire.

" _Do you know why you're here?"_

" _No."_

Anankos sighed and rested his hand on his knee as he gazed forlornly into the fire. " _You know, since you killed my other self, my physical self, this is the last time you'll be able to visit me in the Gray Planes, right?_

"… _and?"_

" _The only other way was if you decided to travel to the Gray Realms, and quite frankly, I hope you're not planning on making that trip within the next sixty or so years."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _You're…a good man, Corrin. You're a good man, and I'm sure you'll be a good husband and father one day. I want to see you live that life. The life of a husband. The life of a father. Do you understand?"_

Corrin tried to hide his blush but was unable to contain the redness from spreading beyond his ears. " _Yes. And thank you."_

Anankos pursed his lips and looked away, gazing into the foggy distance. " _Do you remember what I was going to tell you before the other me interrupted our conversation?"_

" _You were trying to tell me something?"_

Anankos shook his head. " _Of course. I wouldn't expect you to remember, considering that you had…other matters on your mind, but yes. Before I forcefully ejected you from here, we were set upon my Anankos' forces, hoping to finish off the last vestiges of his sanity. Do you remember that at least?"_

" _I do,"_  Corrin replied. " _I…I also remembered you sacrificing yourself for me."_

" _Well, it's not much of a sacrifice if I'm still alive, is it?"_ Anankos said lightly, though his expression quickly fell. " _Not…that it matters, since I'll probably be dead soon."_

Corrin looked up to say something, but thought better of it and instead elected to lower his gaze to the fire again. " _I'm sorry."_

" _Don't be,"_  Anankos said reassuringly. " _The moment I regained my memories after having you with your mother, I knew that…even as it was your fate to put down my other self one day, it was my fate to die guiding you there."_

Corrin looked up again, this time in surprise. " _What did you say? You had_ what  _with my mother?"_

Anankos' breath quickly withdrew itself. " _Ah. I…was hoping you wouldn't hear that."_

Corrin got to his feet, his hand already moving down to his waist, though he knew he would find nothing there. " _What did you do with my mother?"_

Anankos winced and rose his hands placatingly. " _Whoa there!"_  he said, also slowly getting his feet. " _Let's not get hasty."_

Corrin furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at Anankos. " _Tell me,"_  he ordered. " _Tell me what you did with my mother."_

" _I didn't do anything bad or harmful to her!"_  Anankos said, inching forward towards Corrin. " _Just…let me ask one question. Please?"_

Corrin's gaze was the answer he gave.

Anankos sighed and lowered his hands to his sides. " _What do you feel…about your father? And what do you feel about me, both the insane one and the one standing in front of you?"_

Corrin was surprised enough to loosen his posture. " _My father? Sumeragi? Or Garon?"_

" _Either one."_

Corrin frowned in concentration. " _Well, I think anyone who knows me well enough knows how I feel about Garon. He's ruthless, immoral, unjust. But he was possessed by you at the time, so I guess that explains why he acted the way he did. Sumeragi…quite frankly, I don't know enough about him for me to even consider him as a father. I remember him trying to protect me from Garon, and my mother spoke fondly about him during my time in Hoshido, but beyond that…nothing. I don't know anything about him."_

" _And what about me?"_

Here, Corrin's lip curled themselves into an unhappy frown as he tried to think of the best way to tell how he thought about Anankos without offending him. Quite frankly, there was such a  _large_  gap between the two, he might as well consider them two separate people, but at the same time…

" _I don't know,"_  Corrin said truthfully. " _On one hand, I hated your other self. I hated him because he was the one responsible for causing so much pain, for taking away so many innocent lives. As bad as Garon might've been, when I think of the other Anankos, I can just see Garon's morals, if you can call those morals, plastered onto him, except amplified by a hundred times."_

" _I see,"_  Anankos said.

" _But…"_  Corrin added after a lengthy pause, " _I also feel…sorry for him."_

" _How so?"_  Anankos asked.

" _Well, I mean, I remember watching him thrash about during the fight, and during those bouts, he would constantly ask why we had betrayed him, why_ humanity  _had betrayed him. I guess if I was in a similar position, where you were treated as an outcast by the very people you helped…I probably would've gone mad too."_

" _I see,"_  Anankos said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. " _What about me then?"_

Corrin chuckled humorlessly. " _Well, I feel sorry for you too, being forced to spend the rest of your life here and being unable to do anything besides giving me advice on how to beat your other self. It's not enough to make me completely forgive your other half…but it's enough for me to see that you…were a good man. Once."_

" _But you don't hate me at all? No desire to see me gone from your life?"_

" _I…don't know,"_  Corrin replied. " _I mean, I'll definitely remember you, and while I have no desire to see you gone form my life, I…also don't want you in it either. I know it's not your fault, but you've caused so much harm that it's just sort of hard to forgive you all at once, you know?"_

Anankos relaxed and sat back down next to the fire. " _I see,"_  he said again. " _Well, I'm sure your real father, whoever he is, would be proud to see you right now. Not just physically, but everything you've done as well. You're barely past the age of twenty-three, and already, you've managed to save the world, bring peace to Valla, Hoshido, and, and most impressively, bring down a mad god."_

" _Not without sacrificing some of my friends,"_  Corrin said bitterly, remembering the glassy stares hazing back at him from Subaki, Shura, and all the others who died. " _We…we lost a lot of people, during the invasion. Ten-thousand, not including my elite guard, followed me down here and now, barely more than a couple hundred are left."_

" _Well, as much as I hate to say it, that's just war,"_  Anankos said sadly. " _Not everyone makes it back. But they'll be remembered. I promise."_

" _I know,"_  Corrin sighed. " _I…I just wished they could've seen it through to the end."_

Anankos nodded thoughtfully. " _I feel the same way."_

The two dragons looked around awkwardly before Corrin sat back down. " _Sorry about my outburst,"_  he apologized. " _I…I'm not the biggest fan of people keeping secrets from me. But why do you ask? I still want to hear what you did to my mother."_

" _Nothing bad, I promise,"_  Anankos said, shifting uneasily. " _But…what you're about to hear might be a tad…overwhelming."_

" _Try me,"_  Corrin countered. " _In the span of less than half a week, I helped Azura kill her mother, and then I actually killed my mother and father, and then I put down a dragon god. If I can do all those things in less than half a week, I think I can handle what you're about to through at me."_

Anankos tightened his grip on his robes. " _Very well then. Prepare yourself…"_

Corrin's eyebrows rose in interest and confusion as Anankos reached up with his hands to pull his hood back. As the cloth fell away, he couldn't see what Anankos was hoping to accomplish until he looked into his eyes.

He gasped.

Anankos' eyes were the same shade as Corrin's, only much, much sadder and wiser looking. As his eyes drifted towards others features of Anankos' face, Corrin felt a strange bundle of…joy? Horror? Disgust? Confusion? Whatever it was, it was spreading throughout his body.

Save for the long blue hair and red gem set into his forehead, the man standing before Corrin could've been his twin. Same jawline, same high cheek-bones, same jutting chin. In fact, the face Corrin stared at was the same face he looked at in the mirror, save for the mentioned differences.

Corrin scarcely managed to run his eyes over Anankos' features again before he pulled his hood over his head, shrouding his face in shadow once again.

" _Now do you see?"_  Anankos asked. " _The reason why I asked those questions about your father and how you felt about them and me was because…I am your father."_

Corrin staggered backwards, his head swimming. He blinked rapidly, and his hands involuntarily clenched themselves into fists as he pressed them against his head. His breath started to come short, and some distant part of his brain informed him that he was starting to hyperventilate.

_Anankos was—no—is my father?_

Some small part of him wasn't that surprised. He noticed—he tried not to but he still noticed—the semblance between Anankos' true form and his own. The rough shape of the head, the curve of the neck, the horse-like body and legs, the large chest and narrow hindquarters, the five-digited, almost finger-like claws. He had noticed  _all_  of that but brushed it off, told himself that he had been in the middle of a battle, that now was not the same to focus on such trivial details, but he still noticed.

He told himself that Anankos' insane form despised humans too much to ever consider mating with one and that similarities were to be expected. Anankos was one of the First Dragons, and Corrin just so happened to have a healthy dosage of First Dragons' blood coursing through his veins, so why shouldn't there be a resemblance?

_But if Anankos is one of the First Dragons, and I have the blood of the First Dragons, then that means—no. It can't be._

" _It can't be,"_  Corrin repeated. " _There's no way. Anankos—your other half_ hated _humans. There's no way he would've ever considered marrying one, much less mate with her to produce a child!"_

" _I never said it was he who married your mother and loved her like nothing else,"_  Anankos said sadly. " _I never said that that_  I _hated humans."_

" _Calm down, Corrin,"_  Anankos said, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on Corrin's shoulder as he started to hyperventilate again. " _I know this is a big shock to you, but you need to get a hold of yourself?"_

" _Calm down?"_  Corrin asked, chucking mirthlessly. " _How can I relax knowing that my father was the one responsible for the deaths of all those people? The one responsible for killing not just Azura's parents, but also mine and turning them into servants just so you can throw them away at me, hoping it would traumatize me?"_

" _Corrin—"_

" _And what about my mother?"_  Corrin continued. " _Did you force yourself on her?"_

" _Oh gods, no!"_  Anankos stammered, tightening his grip on Corrin's shoulder. " _Say what you want about my other self, but this part? The one standing in front of you, the part of the soul I ripped out during one of my fits of madness? That's the part who married her! I'm the one who loved her and you, her son! I was the one who, when I saw a choice between regaining my sanity at the cost of her life or saving her at the cost of dying, never being able to regain full control of myself, I chose to save her. I chose to save_ you! _You have to understand, I_ loved  _her, Corrin. I loved her almost as much as I love you!"_

When Corrin remained silent, opening and closing his mouth as he shook his head in disbelief, Anankos tightened his grip further. " _Please, Corrin, hate me for the rest of your life if you must, but please, while I'm here, in my final moments on this world, please let me tell you what I've been waiting nigh-on twenty-three years to say!_ Please."

Corrin blinked and shook his head in disbelief. " _You're my father?"_  he mouthed. " _I-I—why are you here? Why are you here and not—"_

" _And not dead?"_  Anankos finished. He sighed and shook his head. " _In short, I was selfish. Truthfully, I died a long time ago, during Valla's fall. Remember when I told about how I was to be imprisoned here, in the Gray Planes, until the world has been purified of my sins?"_

Corrin nodded.

" _In truth, The Gray Planes can also be a…purgatory of sorts. A place for wandering souls to wait in until they finally meet someone. When I died, I wanted nothing more than to see you again. Me being imprisoned here was just a happy coincidence. When I died, I saw how you would later cure my insanity, and I hoped…I hoped that I would be able to see you one last time before I died a true death, so I stayed."_

" _So you stayed,"_  Corrin echoed. " _Is Mother here too, then?"_

Anankos shook his head. " _Unfortunately, I was the one who escorted her to the Gray Realms. She had to move on immediately, or else my other half would try to resurrect and use her again as a pawn. I couldn't let that happen. And besides, she's already said her piece. It's my turn to say mine."_

" _What did you want to say?"_

Tears threatened to spill down Anankos face as he released Corrin. " _Honestly, I don't even remember. Isn't it funny how I spent almost two decades' worth of time here, preparing for this moment, and now that the moment has come, I…just can't remember. I…wanted to say a few things before I passed on. Can you at least listen to my words? And pass them to Lilith as well?"_

" _Why Lilith?"_  Corrin asked.

" _There's just not enough time,"_  Anankos said, looking back the small campfire. " _I wish I could explain, but there's just not enough time._

As Corrin glanced at the campfire, he noticed that the flame was almost dying, flickering between bouts of just heated air and orange ashes floating gently through the air.

" _I just wanted to tell you and Lilith that…I'm proud. Proud of everything you've become, and proud for Lilith because of everything she's done. Saving you the first time you almost fell in The Bottomless Canyon, for beseeching the Astral Dragons and giving you and your friends a place to call home in the Astral Planes. I never wanted any of this to happen. I was helpless, powerless against my baser instincts, so you can't imagine how relieved I am to see you two free of my burden."_

Corrin listens on in silence as Anankos continues, his voice choking. " _I'm so proud of you both. Don't think it was mere fate or luck that you won against me, because during my time here, I was graced with three, final visions. I saw a possibility where you chose Hoshido over Nohr, or Nohr over Hoshido."_

Corrin nodded, his memory flashing back to that awful day.

" _And finally, I saw one where…you failed, where I reigned supreme and used your corpses as vanguards in my invasion on the rest of the world, and eventually, other worlds. Do you see? Do you understand? Your fate wasn't sealed. You made your own fate, and you're continuing to do so. Word's can't express how…how proud that makes me feel."_

" _Anankos…"_

Anankos pulled out a large, blue dragonstone from his robes, the same one what Corrin felt like he had seen so long ago. Unlike before, the dragonstone had taken on a much duller sheen, and the ethereal power Corrin had once felt seemed much, much weaker than before.

" _This is my last dragonstone,"_  Anankos explained. " _I'm sure you've seen it before. It's the same one the Rainbow Sage and I used to create Azura's pendant and your own dragonstone. I just wanted to see you and tell you what I felt about you one last time before I shattered it."_

" _Shatter it?"_  Corrin asked. " _How—"_

" _As you know, a dragonstone contains the source of a dragon's power,"_  Anankos explained. " _Since you're only half-dragon, losing or breaking it isn't going to affect you as much as it would a full-dragon, but since I am a full-dragon, and a First Dragon at that, shattering my dragon stone would have much more…extreme consequences."_

" _I don't—"_

Anankos suddenly took his hand in his own and looked him in the eyes, his red eyes gleaming from underneath the hood. " _Corrin, you must shatter it. Only by doing so will I be able to pass on peacefully. Please."_

" _H-how do I do that?"_  Corrin asked, shaken.

" _Simply place your hand on the dragonstone and I'll do the rest,"_  Anankos said.

Corrin did as he was told, and almost automatically, his eyes slid shut as he felt that same ethereal power flow through his body. His eyes shot open, however, when he felt Anankos' hand rest on top of his own and the dragonstone shattered, leaving bloody streaks across his hand from the slivers of stone. As he watched, the blue slivers turned gray and dull, akin to granite.

As Corrin pressed his wounded arm against his stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding, Anankos turned away. Pushing past the pain, Corrin looked up Anankos and—wait—is he  _fading_  away?"

" _Anankos?"_  Corrin called. " _What's happening to you?"_

Anankos smiled back at him, a smile that caused a strange jumble of emotions to well up within Corrin. " _I think it's time for you to move on…son, and for me to move on as well. I'm so glad I finally got the chance to talk to you, and…and it's time you focused on yourself and your own happiness."_

Around him, the gray fog was thickening, turning white and wrapping themselves around Corrin. He struggled to reach out towards Anankos. Some emotion—close to panic and longing and sadness and just the desire to see his father's face  _one_  last time—engulfed Corrin as he called out, " _Anankos! Father!"_

That makes him stop short and he turned to see Corrin reaching out towards him struggling against the tendrils of dog threatening to engulf him.

" _Father!"_

Corrin swallowed, nervous. The knot and jumble of emotions in his chest just kept growing tighter and tighter. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know  _how_  to say it. All he knows is that he had to convey all the feelings of hurt, confusion, and fear he felt when Anankos confessed his last secret to him. How he's still in disbelief. About how he's still struggling to accept that, and how, maybe now, after everything he's told him…how he might be able to.

" _Thank you,"_  he whispered. " _For everything. I…I know what happened wasn't your fault…and I forgive you. For…for everything."_

This time, tears flowed unchecked from Anankos' face as he turned and wrapped Corrin in a hug. Corrin immediately threw his arms around his father and closed his eyes as he breathed in his father's musky firewood scent, well aware that this will be the last time he'll ever be able to smell it again.

When they pull apart, there's a tearful smile on Anankos' lips and his eyes are wet. " _That's…the greatest gift you could've ever given to me."_

As all sight and sound evaporate, the last thing Corrin feels is Anankos' hands resting on his shoulder, and the last thing he sees is Anankos smiling, his red eyes and face visible for once from under his hood.

" _Live a happy life, Corrin. You, Lilith, and Azura. That's all a father wants for his family."_

* * *

Azura moaned sleepily as she nuzzled Corrin's chest, his heartbeat a constant and soothing drone in her ear. She snuggled closer to him as she felt his hand rest on her waist, pulling her even closer to his warmth, before her eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Corrin!"

In an instant, he was awake, and bolted upright, slamming her in the forehead, causing her to fall out of the bed and onto the floor where the damage became much more evident. Blood stained the lower half of Corrin's bedsheets, where his hand rested, and as Azura got to her feet, she became aware of a sticky liquid clinging to her backside. She twisted around to see the damage and was shocked at the sheer amount of blood staining her skin and clothing.

"Corrin!" she shouted again. "Are you alright?"

Corrin was already at his desk, wrapping a bandage around his wounded hand in nothing but his sleeping clothes. "I'm fine," he replied, shooting a concerned glance over his shoulder at her. "You?"

Azura made a face of disgust as she pulled away a patch of blood-stained clothing sticking to her skin. "I'm…going to go change."

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable," Corrin deadpanned.

Azura sprinted out the treehouse, but before she did, she planted a quick kiss on Corrin's cheek as he finished applying the bandage. "Good morning," she whispered. And then she was out the door.

Corrin stared after her for a good minute or so before shaking himself. He still had to clean the bloodstains on the bedsheets, as well as clean himself up. He took a moment to stare at his bandaged hand.

"Could that have really been a dream?" he said to himself, "or is…Anankos actually my father?"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Azura returned, clad in her normal attire. Corrin looked up from where he was helping Jakob move the bed and was relieved when the butler excused himself, giving a curt "excuse me" to Azura on the way out.

As she slid into the room, she gave Corrin a wary once-over. He raised his bandaged hand as if to say, "Look, I promise my hand isn't going spontaneously combust and spurt blood all over the place." Satisfied, Azura took a seat next to Corrin on the bed and laid her head on his shoulder, taking his hands in her own, though she was careful not to put too much pressure his bandaged hand.

"What happened?" Azura asked, giving him a quizzical look.

Corrin chewed the inside of his lips, an action he only does when there's something he wants to tell her but isn't sure how to tell her. She placed a hand on his cheek and turned it towards her.

"Come on," she said gently. "We just had one of these talks yesterday. If we're having one of these again so soon, then—"

"It's not about you," Corrin blurted. "It's…it's actually about me. And Anankos."

"Anankos?" Azura's eyebrow could've jumped off her face. "What about him?"

"How…what do you feel about him?"

Azura takes a moment to rise and gaze out the treehouse window. Already, some of the men were stumbling out of the great hall, their eyes blinking slowly as they tried to adjust to the sudden light from within the darkened hall.

"How do I feel about him?" she echoed. "I feel…I feel…sorry for him."

"Sorry?"

"I mean, I hate and fear him as much as you do, but you have to think about all the hardships he went through. Having his own kingdom turn against him, finding out that he murdered his own best friend, and even having to deal with the knowledge that he was the last of his kind. It's no surprise he went insane. It's…sad, in a way."

She turned away from the window and sat next to Corrin. "Why do you ask?"

Corrin looked away from her and began fiddling with the blue dragonstone hung around his neck. "I…I met Anankos. While I was…I guess I was dreaming, or wandering, or something. I'm not really sure, but I met Anankos. And we talked."

"What did you two talk about?" Azura asked warily, eyes flicking between Corrin's face and the dragonstone he held in his fingers.

"We…sort of talked about my father. And, well, are you  _sure_  what you said about Anankos was true? That you felt sorry for him but you didn't necessarily just hate or fear him?"

"Yes…" Azura said. "But what does that have to do with anything. Get on with it."

Corrin pursed his lips.  _This is it. Moment of truth._

"Anankos told me that…he…was my father."

Azura's eyes widen in shock, but she says nothing, trusting Corrin to explain. And he does, giving her the abbreviated version of what Anankos told him in the Gray Planes.

"Wait, so what you're telling me is that Anankos ripped out his soul, and that part of his soul was the one who met your mother, married her, and eventually had you?"

Corrin nodded.

"And you two talked…in the Gray Planes…"

Another nod.

"Which is a part of multitude of planes of existence."

A third nod.

"And he asked you to kill him by shattering his dragonstone."

A fourth nod.

"Which is why your hand was bleeding this morning."

"That's basically it."

Azura shook her head in disbelief. "I-I can't believe this."

But Corrin wasn't done yet. He spent another fifteen minutes telling her of Anankos' story and when he's done, Azura quickly rises from the bed, causing Corrin's heart to lurch. For a split second, he though Azura was going to leave and he felt his heart stop, but then she took Corrin's face in her hands, bent down, and passionately kissed him on the lips.

Corrin was too surprised at first to return the fervor she had given him, but before he would reciprocate the action, she pulled away, her face slightly flushed. She settled herself on his lap so they were eye-level and she gazed into his eyes, red mixing with gold beautifully. She raised a hand to gently caress his cheek and he leans into it, closing his eyes.

"And?" she says.

Corrin's eyes shot open. "What do you mean 'and?' I just told you that I'm the son of…of that thing! How can you—"

"How can I still love you?" she finished. "It's easy. Whoever your father was, whether he was human or dragon, sane or insane, it doesn't matter to me. The identity of your father doesn't change who  _you_  are, and you're the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful man I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and falling in love with. You were the one who reached out to both me and my heart, something no one has ever managed to do before, and you were the one who unlocked both of them. I love you  _because_ of those nothings, not because of who your father was! Your father could've been a wild boar for I care, but so long as you're  _you_ , I could never think less of you, nor could I ever stop loving you."

Corrin let out a shaky breath as he wrapped his hands around her waist, bringing her close to his chest. "Thank you," he said, and in those two words, Azura could feel what felt like over a ton of fear, uncertainty, and nervousness seep away.

She smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "Of course," she said. "We balance each other out, you know. Usually, it's the optimistic you comforting the pessimistic me, but if I can't comfort you when you're feeling down, what kind of relationship is this?"

Corrin laughed, hugging her even closer to him and burying his face in her hair. Azura let out a hum of contentment as she wrapped his legs around his back, locking them behind him so that they were intertwined.

They could've stayed like that forever, before a sharp rap on the treehouse door snapped them out of their shared heaven.

"You two done in there, or do I have to come in and teach you how to unlatch?" came Leo's voice, still tired from yesterday's bout, but as snarky as ever.

"Please don't!" Azura called out, blushing

"What do you mean, 'unlatch?'" Corrin asked at the same time. Azura slapped him on the arm.

"We'll be out soon, Leo!" she promised. "What do you need us for?"

"Ryoma, Xander, and everyone else is going to be in a meeting, discussing afterwar measures," Leo replied, and Azura could almost feel his eyeroll. "Go grab something to eat and then meet us in Corrin's study. And don't take your time! There's other things we have to do today besides frolicking without loved ones!"

"Just wait until you actually find a 'loved one!'" Corrin called out. "Then we'll see who has to ask the other to unlatch!"

Azura stifled a giggle behind her hand as she heard Leo try to stammer out an excuse before backing down the stairs. As soon as he was out of earshot, Azura leaned in to kiss Corrin on the lips again.

"We should probably get going," she said, once they broke off.

"We should" Corrin replied, making no attempt to move.

"Ryoma and Xander'll probably get really mad at us if we don't show up."

"I'm sure they will."

A savage grin appeared on Azura's face as she wormed her fingers down her sides, causing him to yelp and flex away. "How's that, then?" she asked playfully.

"Azura, stop!" Corrin protested, though she could feel herself starting to break out laughing from the tickle. "Stop!"

After a few minutes, Corrin laid back down on his bed, his hands under his head, breathing heavily from their most recent excursion. Azura continued to sit on the edge of the bed before she rose and threw a wad of clothing at Corrin's face.

"Get dressed," she ordered, though with a smile. "I'll meet up with you in your study. What do you want?"

Corrin groaned as he tossed his sleeping tunic over his shoulder, revealing the toned, yet scarred muscle underneath. Azura couldn't help but get distracted by Corrin's physique, though she felt a pang of sadness as her eyes drifted down towards the scar running across his stomach, the result of saving her from a Faceless during an attack on the castle.

"I'll take anything," he said, his voice strained as he struggled to clip his armor up to his chin. Unlike the day before, the armor was now clean, devoid of dents, and most importantly, shone like a diamond on a sunny summer day, courtesy of Flora's immaculate performance.

"Why are you still wearing armor?" Azura asked. "We're no longer in a war."

Corrin paused mid-strap. "Huh," he said. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

He tossed his cape over his shoulder and clipped it on before looking back towards Azura. "You coming or what?"

Azura all but skipped towards him as she intertwined her arms with Corrin's. "It'll be my pleasure."

Corrin beamed as the two of them climbed down the treehouse, Azura first, of course. As they walked towards the main part of the castle, Azura couldn't help but feel…apprehensive. Apprehensive of the unknown future they now faced, but also happy, happy that Corrin will be beside her, no matter the circumstances.

She just hopes they'll be prepared for what happens after the war.


	3. Chapter 3

As Corrin and Azura walked through the castle hall, where many of the army had rested overnight, the men started slowly rousing themselves, stirring themselves awake and sluggishly preparing to follow through everyday procedure. Corrin glanced at Azura with a faint hint of amusement as her stomach growled audibly.

"What?" she said defensively. "We've haven't eaten yet."

Corrin smiled and shook his head. "Come on," he said, taking her by the arm and leading her away from their destination towards the kitchen. Jakob and Flora were already there, serving Odin and Laslow a bowl of delicious-smelling gruel.

"You really know how to cook, don't you?" Laslow said flirtingly, winking at Flora. "You know, I got a few ideas 'cooking' for you, right now, so how about you—"

"Don't bother," Corrin said as he got in line behind them. "She's as cold as ice."

Odin burst out into laughter as Laslow blanched. Even Flora had crack a smile as Jakob gave them a dispassionate look-over before returning his attention to the pot he was stirring.

"Ah, L-lord Corrin!" Laslow stammered, hastily averting his gaze from Flora. "Good job dealing with that dragon yesterday. Gods know what would've happened to us if you didn't stop him."

"Ah, it's alright, really," Corrin said as Flora handed him a bowl of that delicious-smelling gruel. "How's Peri doing?"

The easy smile from Laslow's face faltered a little, but remained strong. "She's…doing better. She's still alive, thankfully, but the healers said it'll be very unlikely for her to ever fight or even swing a sword anymore."

"What happened?" Azura asked.

"One of those accursed barbarians snatched her hand and fighting spirit during our fated battle!" Odin proclaimed loudly, striking what Azura assumed was supposed to be a heroic pose, though it made him look more like a child pretending to be a dragon. "Her life would've been lost, had it not been for the hero standing in front of your very eyes! I, Odin Dark, was the sole reason as to why she was to survive such a heated and terrible war, and—"

"What my very loud companion is trying to say here is that he was able to stop the bleeding before Peri bled out," Laslow simplified, shooting an exasperated glare towards Odin, who merely smiled back cheerly. "But considering how long it took for us to find her hand again and reattach it, the healers say there's a very slim chance that the nerves in her hand will be reattach themselves properly."

"And what if they don't?" Corrin asked.

Laslow shrugged. "She'll never be able to use that arm the same way again," he said flatly. "She'll have to resign as Xander's retainer."

"That's terrible," Corrin muttered shaking his head. "That must be tough for you, since you've worked with her for…how long?"

"Nearly ten years," Laslow said. "I've served as Prince Xander's retainer for nearly fifteen years, but she was recruited later on." Laslow glanced towards where Selena and Odin were standing. "If you must excuse me, I'm afraid my comrades are waiting for me."

"Of course," Corrin said, smiling. "The war's over now, so we have all the time in the world to catch up now if you want."

Laslow looked like he wanted to say something, but instead elected to bow his head and say, "Of course. I'll keep that in mind. Lady Azura. Lord Corrin. Good day."

"That was…entertaining," Azura admitted as Jakob poured a ladle full of gruel into her bowl.

Corrin said nothing but nodded his head as Jakob turned towards him. "Would you like eggs or bacon?" he asked, holding up a fork in each hand, with the mentioned food stuck on the tines. "They're fresh, so they'll be warm."

"I'll…take the bacon," Corrin said, allowing Jakob to dump several strips of the meat into his bowl. As Jakob retracted his arm, Corrin managed to grab his wrist, causing the butler to raise his eyebrow. "Hey, make sure you take a break, alright?" he said concernedly. "If not for yourself, then at least for me."

Jakob looked like he was about to argue but instead just dipped his head in an unconvincing nod. "I'll keep that in mind, Lord Corrin."

"The same applies to you too, Flora," Corrin said to her. The main smiled and nodded but continued working steadfastly.

"Come on," Azura said, pulling Corrin away. "I'm sure they'll take a break eventually. Xander and Ryoma are waiting for us, remember?"

"O-of course," Corrin stammered as she led him away and up the flight of stairs leading to his study. They were halfway up when a question suddenly struck Corrin. He stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, Azura?" he called.

The songstress turned curiously and looked towards him. "Yes?"

"What…do you want to do after the war?"

Azura frowned and tapped her chin with a finger as she thought. "I don't know," she said after a few minutes' worth of deliberation. "When we started this war, all I wanted was to stop Anankos and avenge my mother's death…but I never really thought about what I would do  _after._ "

"Why not?"

Azura turned away so that she wouldn't have to face Corrin and his red eyes full of concern. "You have to understand, Corrin, because of my heritage, because of my curse, because of my  _song_ , I thought that the chances of me living through the war were…impossibly low. I never expected to have a chance to fight back against Anankos until I met you, but it wasn't until I fell in love with you that I started to find reasons why I should try to keep myself alive."

Corrin quickly crossed the distance between them and hugged her. Azura's eyes widened as she tried to keep her balance on the stairs, but she closed them all the same, allowing Corrin's warmth to envelope her, though hugging people in armor was definitely not at the top of the list of her favorite things, but Corrin being Corrin, she didn't mind.

"Well, now the war's over," Corrin said huskily after a few moments. "I'm still here for you, and you're still alive. What do you want to do?"

"I still don't know," she said quietly. "Just anything that has you in it."

Corrin could've sworn he felt his shoulder dampen, but when she pulled away, her eyes were as dry as before and her smile as genuine as his. Corrin tried to press her for answers, but Azura simply rested her finger on his lips.

"We can talk about this later," she said. "The others are waiting for us, so I doubt now is the time for us to have a therapy session."

Corrin swallowed as he clasped her finger in his hand, her skin cool against his own.

"O-of course."

Corrin pushed open the door to his study to see Ryoma, Xander, Leo, Takumi, and the rest of his siblings clustered around the room; some sitting, some standing, but all serious-faced. Even Camilla had her lips turned downward, though it soon lifted again as soon as she saw Corrin and Azura walk in.

"Aw, I knew my little dragon could do it!" she gushed as she rushed towards them. It was all Corrin could do to give Azura a look that said  _help_  before Camilla smothered his head in her chest, albeit a little bit more gently than usual, due to her right arm enclosed in a sling.

As he freed himself from Camilla's grasp, the rest of his siblings surrounded him, congratulating him and each other on Anankos' defeat. Even Sakura and Elise tried to drag Azura into the celebration, but it was all she could do to simply smile and retreat back to her corner.

For a few moments, the mood was jovial, almost triumphant, but when Corrin glimpsed the massive pile of paperwork already sitting on his desk, letters he would have to undoubtedly write to all those families who've lost loved ones during the war, his mind flashed back to the horrible sight of all his friends laying motionless on that battlefield, and his smile died. Everyone else soon noticed the change in mood and they all separated, awkwardly eating in silence.

Leo managed to pull up a chair next while Takumi sat on the ground next to him, his gray hair falling loosely around his shoulders. Normally, he would've put his hair up in a high ponytail, but it seemed like he either lost it during the fighting or else he simply lacked the energy to do his hair this morning. Camilla, Sakura, and Elise sat outside, on Corrin's balcony. Elise and Sakura were seated at a small table while Camilla stood behind them, patting their heads as she stared wistfully down at the castle. Azura couldn't read minds, but she knew she was thinking of Beruka and all the others lost.

Xander was the only one who didn't eat, but instead elected to drink from a cup of steaming coffee. Ryoma, however, elected for both a steaming cup of tea  _and_  a massive bowl of gruel. Judging from the smell, it must've been the same gruel Flora and Jakob had given to Azura and Corrin. Both Xander and Ryoma had been up all night, making sure everyone was accounted for and that everyone was who they said they were, so they were just as tired as the healers and sentries who volunteered to work throughout the night.

Meanwhile, Azura decided to plop herself on Corrin's desk, where he had also decided to sit. Such was the extent of Corrin's work ethic that he was already working on the paperwork in front of her, but when he saw her sit on top of his desk in front of him, he looked up and gave her a quick smile before resuming his work.

For a long time, they simply ate, thinking about their new life, a life without war between Hoshido and Nohr, until Elise broke the silence by asking, "So what now?" a yawn cutting off the end bit of her sentence. Like the other healers, she too had gone to bed later than the others and woke up at the crack of dawn to finish healing the wounded.

Takumi glanced at her before returning his gaze to the bowl in his hands. "Don't know," he said bitterly. "I'm pretty most of us are going to separate after this. Probably pay for the damages to Nestra for trashing Cyrkensia. Patch things between Hoshido and Nohr. Set up trade routes. Coronate Xander and Ryoma. You know, things that are supposed to happen after a war."

"B-but where do w-we even start?" Sakura asked, walking in along with Elise and Camilla. "I-I don't e-even k-know what w-we're  _supposed_  to do after a war!"

The lavender haired woman closed the windowed door behind them before standing next to Leo. "None of us do, dear," she said. "We'll just have to work out the problems one at a time and hope it doesn't lead to another war."

"I doubt that'll happen," Leo said. He looked around at the faces of the others in the room. "What?" he said defensibly. "All I'm saying is that Hoshido and Nohr have been at each other's throats for…how long? Thirty, forty years?"

"Thirty-six," Corrin said, not looking up from his work. "The war's been going on between Hoshido and Nohr for nearly thirty-six years."

"See?" Leo said, gesturing towards Corrin. "Thirty-six years is a  _long_  time, and those kinds of feelings built up for the other nation during the course of the war isn't going to go away anytime soon."

"That's why we'll have to take things slow," Camilla said, frowning. "We should first set up a list of things of what both nations should focus on working on in their own territories before we focus on strengthening relationships with each other."

"That is true," Xander said, taking another sip of coffee. "Since it's confirmed that Father died, and me being the heir, Nohr is going to have to coronate me as king before we actually do anything to build our relationship with Hoshido."

"Same here," Ryoma said. "Ever since our mother died, Hoshido has been in a state of sharp decline. We'll have to focus on getting our nations back in shape before we can actually negotiate for peace."

"Wait, Hoshido and Nohr are still at war with each other?" Corrin asked, finally looking up.

"Oh, no!" Hinoka exclaimed. "Part of the reason why Ryoma and Xander didn't sleep at all was because they were writing official letters and having messengers send them all around the kingdom, calling for the armies to stand down until further notice."

"We're still not sure about the curse," Xander explained. "I heard Queen Arete died mysteriously, and I was able to deduct that she died because she wrote down…you know, that place's name. I didn't want to take the chance, so I decided to simply ask for a ceasefire until we know the curse is broken."

"It is," Corrin and another female voice said at the same time.

Xander almost dropped and shattered his cup of coffee on the floor as Lilith gently butted the windowed door leading to the balcony. Hinoka got up from where she was sitting against the wall and opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Princess Hinoka," Lilith said before drifting in front of Ryoma and Xander. "Anankos is dead, and with him, the curse he laid on Valla's name, history textbooks, and people's memories. Even as we speak, people are 'rediscovering' Valla, and if you read one of Lord Corrin's history textbooks, you'll be able to find Valla's name again."

"She's right," Leo said in an amazed hush. He held up a thick history book with the titled  _Nohr's History: Sixth Edition_  plastered on the spine. "I've read this edition  _at least_  six times during the course of my education, and I've never seen the chapter on…on that place until now."

"You can say Valla's name now, Leo," Corrin said. "Azura and I discovered that too last night."

" _Last night?"_  Takumi asked suspiciously. "So was that where she was hiding the whole time?"

"I was not hiding!" Azura said defensively. "I…I just wanted to clear a few things up with Corrin."

"Oh?" Ryoma said. "And what was the end result? What is to become between the two of you?"

"We're officially back together," Corrin affirmed with a nod. "She's mine and I'm hers. Nothing is going to change that."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," Hinoka breathed. "No offense, Corrin, we want to see you happy, since it makes  _us_  happy, but I think it'll be a lot safer for the rest of us if you remained…happy. I'm pretty sure you know why."

"I do," Corrin said darkly. He knew what she was referring. Everyone did. Even his Nohrian siblings, who hadn't been there to see his draconic grief knew about it, and he hated Hinoka for bringing it up.

 _How would they react, knowing I'm Anankos' son?_  He wondered silently to himself.

He looked up when he felt Azura's hand touch his, her skin cool against his. She squeezed his hand, and he felt his heart subside.

_It's alright. They're family. They'll trust me._

"Well, that's probably the worst thing I've heard today," Takumi grumbled as he leaned back.

Azura tilted her head curiously. "What do you mean?" trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

"Don't you remember, Azura?" Hinoka asked. "All those suitors that tried to court you?"

Corrin gave Azura a surprised look as Azura blushed. Yes, she did remember all those suitors, usually men who were drawn to her beauty and voice, who thought to try and crack the lakeside beauty. She had appreciated her efforts, but she just couldn't open herself up to them, nor did she feel the same way towards them as she did towards Corrin, so they soon moved on.

"D-don't look at me like that!" she stammered as she hid her face behind her hair, too embarrassed to look at Corrin. "I-I never thought of them the same way!"

"So…" Corrin purred, cat-like, his eyes twinkling. "What about these 'suitors?' What's the problem with them?"

Takumi pursed his lips. "Well, I think we told you this before when you were 'living' with us in Hoshido, but duels are a…pretty big deal in Hoshido. Not every suitor who gave up on Azura lost interest in her, if you know what I'm saying. Some of them are bound to try and duel you for her hand."

"Ha, I'd like to see them try," Elise said confidently. "I mean, my brother just took down a  _dragon!_  How are a bunch of old guys supposed to compete with that?"

"Er, not all of them are old, you know that right?" Hinoka added. "Some of them got to where they were by winning duels…and a lot of them."

"That's besides the point," Ryoma said. "I'm sure in the event one of the daimyos decide to challenge Corrin for Azura's hand, you'll either both be married, since that sort of practice of 'stealing' away another's wife is looked down upon heavily in Hoshido, or else Corrin will be able to face down any challengers without problems."

Turning towards Corrin and Azura, he asked, "So what are you two going to do? With Anankos dead, and…Valla…Valla destroyed, both of you have a claim for the throne, but how are you supposed to rebuild it?"

"Actually, that's not true," Lilith piped up. "Sorry for interrupting," she apologized, "but everything you just said false. Technically."

Xander almost choked on a lungful of coffee. "What do you mean?" he asked, coughing. "How is Valla not destroyed? Anankos all but blew it to hell when…when he tore up the land, didn't he?"

Corrin hid a smile behind his hand at the memory of Xander's near identical reaction when he revealed to his siblings that Lilith was the very same entity as the quiet, blue-haired stable girl they had known for nigh-on twenty years. Even at times such as these, the memory never failed to cause him to chuckle.

"The  _land_  of Valla is destroyed, but not it's people," Lilith explained patiently. "As you know, Queen Arete and Queen Mikoto were of Vallite royalty. They, along with their children, were able to escape before Anankos' wrath and managed to hide themselves in Nohr and Hoshido, respectively."

"Yes, we know," Takumi said impatiently. "But what does that have to do with this situation?"

"Because they weren't the only ones to escape," Lilith said. She drifted towards Xander. "Do you remember Iago, your father's retainer?"

Disgust and hatred curled on the prince's face almost immediately. "Of course," he said. "How could I forget such filth?"

"He was of Vallite descent as well," Lilith said. "Like Arete, Mikoto, or even Iago, there were some people who escape Valla's destruction…but there were many more that did not. Those who were unlucky enough to not have escaped were either killed and turned into his puppets...or captured and turned into slaves."

"Slaves?" Elise asked. "But isn't Anankos supposed to hate humans? Why would he even bother taking the time to keep slaves?"

"For entertainment," Lilith said sadly, drifting lower to the floor. Her golden eyes slowly closed in disgust. "Not only did he hate humans and was insane, but he was also a sadist, even in the best of times. He used those who survived Valla's initial coup as mere training dummies for his soldiers, replacements for those he lost in battle, or as mere food. But more often than not, he kept them alive so he could kill them in the most excruciating and…morbidly creative ways possible."

"Explain," Takumi said, standing up.

Lilith bared her teeth and wrapped herself closer to the crystal ball she always rode on: her version of shaking her head. "I can't," she said miserably. "I don't…I don't want to remember."

Everyone frowned at her choice of words. "Wait," Xander said, "does that mean that—"

"We have to go back," Corrin interrupted, standing up. "We can't leave them there." He looked around the room for any objections.

Ryoma sighed, knowing it would be pointless to try and change Corrin's mind about saving the slaves, though it wasn't like he was going to try. He wanted to free those slaves too. "How many?"

Lilith lifted her head and looked towards the samurai. "What?"

"How many slaves are there?"

"A-a good few thousand or so," Lilith answered. "I don't know the exact number, sorry, but—"

"Alright, all in favor of going back to rescue those slaves, raise your hands," Leo proclaimed.

Corrin looked around hopefully. Three, four, six, eight! Ten hands if he counted Azura, Lilith, and himself among the cast. All except Camilla, however. Corrin frowned as he looked in her direction.

"Why not, Camilla?" he asked.

Camilla frowned as she rubbed her chin, her one visible eye deep in thought. "I'm all for us going back to rescue those people, but what are you going to  _do_  with them? I doubt Nohr's current condition is an improvement from their current condition, and I doubt Hoshidans are going to enjoy an entire city's worth of people they've never seen before showing up and living on their land. This is an entire population's worth—or at least a city's worth— of people. We can't just drop them into Nohr and Hoshido and expect everything to be all fine and dandy."

Corrin paced back and forth in front of his desk. "We won't," he answered. Suddenly, another idea popped into his brain. "What if…we take them in?"

"Take…them…in?" Elise asked. "Like puppies?"

Corrin nodded. "Exactly like puppies! I mean, Ryoma said that both Azura and I have a claim to the throne, so why not use this opportunity to rebuild Valla and find a home for the slaves at the same time? We could make a new kingdom, a kingdom between Hoshido and Nohr. A second Valla, a  _New_  Valla. We could rule together, as king and queen!"

Azura stiffens as Ryoma and Xander both look at each other thoughtfully. Corrin ignored her sudden clamp-up but continued looking hopefully towards the two men. Xander rubbed his chin, frowning.

"Well, I'm not sure if our land is going to be much use, since you know, Nohrian soil be Nohrian soil sometimes, but if you need it, I could always donate some land. It won't be easy or quick, since I have to be coronated first and have to fix the…several mistakes in Nohr, but  _technically_ , you taking in the Vallite slaves to make a new kingdom could work."

"I agree," Ryoma said. "I could always donate land myself, and unlike Nohr's they'll actually be useful—"

"Thanks," Leo deadpanned.

"—but the bigger question is  _where_  would this second Valla be situated?" Ryoma continued.

Corrin frowned before walking over to a bulletin board hanging on a nearby wall and spreading apart a map of Nohr and Hoshido. The entire map was covered in scribbles and colored markings: red for Hoshido, purple for Nohr, and yellow for neutral states, but at the very southern tip of The Bottomless Canyon, right where it was thinnest and next to the ocean, there was a patch of empty space.

He pointed at it. "What about that area?" he asked. "It's empty on the map, which meant neither Hoshido or Nohr has claimed it yet, and its out of the way enough so that we won't be intruding on either kingdom's land."

Leo walked up to the map and bent over, inspecting it. "That…could work," he admitted after several minutes of study. "But I hope you know there's a reason why Hoshido and Nohr never bothered claiming that part."

"Why not?"

"That place is…different, compared to the rest of Hoshido and Nohr," Takumi explained. "That's where The Old Fort stands."

"The Old Fort?" Azura asked.

"Eh, the word 'Fort' could be a little misleading, actually," Leo said. "It's actually a castle, but nobody has been able to settle in the area due to an entire army's worth of people mysteriously vanishing in the past."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked.

"Corrin, The Old Fort was the site of The First War's longest siege," Xander said, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "It was a vital checkpoint for both Hoshido and Nohr, which were still very new kingdoms at the time. None were able to bypass the original defenders, but one day, everyone in it just…vanished."

"What do you mean vanished?" Corrin asked. "People don't just  _vanish_ , you know?"

"First off, like you're one to talk," Takumi griped. "When you and Azura rejected both Hoshido and Nohr, we thought you all but disappeared off the face of this world, and secondly, when we say vanished, we mean  _vanished._  Like, there was no trace there was anyone there, No rubble, no weapons, no nothing. According to legend, it looked like the original builders simply finished, packed up, and went home without anyone living in it."

"Oh, you mean MyCastle?" Lilith piped up again.

Every looked up as Lilith slowly rose towards the ceiling. "I have a vague idea of what you're talking about, and I have a feeling that the castle we're in right now may be the same fort you're talking about."

Takumi blanched. "No way."

"Actually, I suppose it would make sense," Leo mused. "I mean, when I first arrived here, everything  _did_  look like it was…classic, like everything that had been in the castle had been displaced in time."

Corrin and Azura shared embarrassed glances. "Yeah, I think Azura and I believe Lilith too," he admitted. "We were the first ones here, along with Felicia and Jakob, remember? When we arrived, and Lilith showed us the ropes…she also showed us a lot of skeletons."

"Oh, that's nasty," Leo remarked.

"No, but here's the thing though!" Corrin said. "They all looked like they were really old, like they've been here for hundreds of years. If this castle  _was_  used and displaced in time four hundred or so years ago, then it would make perfect sense as to how we found so many skeletons."

"This is getting off-topic," Xander said, shaking his head. He looked up at Lilith. "Lilith, tell us, is it possible for this castle to 'replace' itself in the world as we know it? And how would we know that it won't displace itself again?"

"Well, it's still  _there_ , so to speak," the dragon answered. "You can see it, and you can even try to approach it if you want to, though you'll probably end up several dozen feet away if you try, as I'm sure several of you know—" Sakura and Leo turned the same shade of red,"—but yes. I can beseech the astral dragons and ask them to bring this castle back to your world. It'll be just like before. People will be able to approach it, pass through it—it'll essentially be part of the world again."

"So we'll have a place to keep all the Vallites?" Corrin asked.

Everyone blinked in surprise. "What are you getting at?" Leo asked.

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was thinking we could go rescue the slaves, bring them here, and have Lilith beseech the astral dragons to have them replace the castle back in the real world. That way, not only will we have a place to live, but also land."

"You're thinking too quickly, Corrin," Xander said. "The first part where you rescue the slaves and have Lilith beseech the astral dragons to replace the castle is somewhat valid, but you have to understand it'll take us several months before Nohr is able to recognize Valla as a new kingdom."

"We could have everyone stay here, in the astral plane, while you and Ryoma deal with that," Corrin countered. "That way, me and Azura can figure out how to deal with new kingdom problems, and you two can figure out how to deal with old kingdom problems."

Leo rubbed his chin again. "That could work," he admitted. "Obviously, things are still a bit rough around the edges, but your reasoning and idea seems valid. Anyone in objection?"

Corrin looked around the room and was relieved to see that nobody raised their hand. "Alright then," he said cheerfully, swinging his arms and rubbing his hands together. "Looks like we have a rescue operation on our hands."

They didn't go on the rescue operation that day. They spent the rest of the day working out the flaws in Corrin's grand idea, while Lilith warned them about how even though most of undead Vallites died a true death along with their master, he still has a few human agents remaining. Most of them served them out of fear—she reassured—but she also slipped in a few names that Corrin and his siblings recognized.

"Damn that traitor, Camilla said, clenching her fist. "I knew Iago was bad news the moment my father took him in as his retainer, but secretly serving Anankos? Now  _that_  I can believe."

They decided to send a small party, no more than twelve but no less than eight, back into Valla to find the location of the slaves: large enough so that rogue Faceless would pose no problem, but small enough for them to move quickly.

Xander and Ryoma elected to stay behind to control what remained of their armies, though Corrin knew they secretly wanted to send out more letters to their respective nation's peoples. Hinoka and Camilla are still too weak and injured from the fight to properly accompany them, but they offered their own mounts in case they wanted to speed things up.

Sakura and Elise, as expected, are dead-tired, so Corrin dismisses them early when the group comes to the topic of discussing the slaves' future, and they gratefully trudge down the tower stairs, barely able to keep their eyes open. Corrin had Hinoka keep an eye on them and asked her to escort them both to their respective quarters.

Leo and Takumi, despite looking just as tired as Corrin's younger sisters, both volunteered for the job, much to his gratitude. Corrin took a moment to walk down to the main hall, where most of the wounded were finished being patched up, and asked around for volunteers.

Immediately, Kaze, Silas, Laslow, and Selena all stepped forward, and as Corrin tried to count heads, he thought he saw a pair of very familiar-looking and bedraggled looking soldiers dragging a third body in. He immediately orded healers to focus on the two soldiers dragging Gunter while another two soldiers dragged him down into the castle dungeons, on the very strict orders to "treat him well."

Unfortunately, according to one of the soldiers responsible for taking Gunter back, they had gotten sidetracked and were set upon by a trio of Faceless. The other man died soon after of his injuries, and Corrin sagged his head at the news, but at least Gunter and the other soldier were safe.

Oboro, Niles, Odin, and Hinata all immediately volunteered when they heard that their lieges would be part of the search party, and combined with Kaze, Silas, Laslow, Selena, Leo, Takumi, Azura, and himself, they were already at twelve members, so Corrin marched back up to his study to tell his siblings the news, only for them to tell him that he was forbidden to come.

"W-wait, what?" he asked.

"You're…too important," Hinoka explained patiently. "You're technically king now, and if you were to die back in Valla, no matter how small the chance, the damage that would do would be…big. Very big."

"Plus, you still have all that paperwork to do," Leo deadpanned, gesturing towards the already increasing stacks of paper on Corrin's desk. "Flora just dropped off another stack, so I think it'll be better if you stayed here and focused on finishing. Who knows? Maybe some of them have to deal with Valla's future."

Corrin didn't like it, but their arguments were sound, and one by one, everyone trickled out of his study, until it was him, Azura, and nearly sixteen stacks of paperwork. Corrin looked up when Azura called his name.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright staying behind?" she asked from the doorway.

Corrin waved a hand dejectedly. "Yeah, I'm sure. Leo and Hinoka were right, after all. I still need to finish writing all these letters to the families of the soldiers who we lost, and I need to start planning for the future. Our future."

That caused Azura to frown, which caused Corrin to frown as well. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, almost too quickly.

Corrin's frown deepened and he rose from his chair to take her hand in his. Azura squeezed his hand but refused to look him in the eyes.

"Hey," he said gently, taking her chin and gently turning her face towards him. "C'mon, you know you can trust me. What's wrong?"

"There's…something about you said today," she said hesitatingly. "About how we could rule together, as king and queen."

"What about it?" he asked, letting her hand fall from his. "That's what you wanted, right?"

"I said I didn't know what I wanted to do," Azura snapped, though upon seeing the hurt and surprise on Corrin's face, she immediately softened her tone. "Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's alright," he affirmed, taking her hand in his again. "You said you wanted to do anything that had me by your side, and I wanted to reestablish Valla. Wouldn't that automatically make you queen?"

"That's the problem though," Azura said, pulling away and crossing her arms. She leaned on the door frame but still refused to look Corrin in the eyes. "You know how I am. I'm not good with people, and I'm not a good leader."

"Yes you are!" Corrin said, surprised. "Just because you may be quiet all the time doesn't mean you're not a good leader! You got me on your side, so surely, that has to count for something, right?"

"That's different," she breathed. "I already trusted you fully when I told you about Valla, but that's the thing! I don't know what other people think about me! What you were suggesting this morning, about us two…I don't want it."

"Oh."

Corrin looked absolutely devastated, and Azura wasn't quite sure why until she played back their conversation, and instantly, she felt like a fool.

"Well, I guess if you don't want to be queen of Valla, there's nothing I can really do, huh?" Corrin said, trying to be humorous but failing. His voice sounded choked. "But, I mean, seriously? After last night? Why not?"

Azura grimaced. "Oh gods Corrin, I didn't mean to—I love you! I  _want_  to stay with you, to marry and love you—" isn't it funny how the concepts of  _marriage, Corrin,_ and  _love_  together made this warm little sun light up in her chest? "—but…but it's the ruling. I'm not comfortable leading people. I-I just  _can't_ —"

Azura stopped herself as she pressed her palm to her chest, trying to calm herself, when she felt ready again, she took Corrin's hand, causing him to look up. "I  _want_  you, and I  _want_  stay by your side, but I'm not sure how I can if I'm coronated queen of Valla. I'm just not comfortable leading, having everyone looking up to me. I'm afraid I'm too…"

"Off-putting?"

"Off-putting," Azura agreed. "I mean, convincing you and Felicia was one thing, but an entire people? I don't think I can."

Corrin visibly deflates in relief. "I see. That was…much, much better than I was expecting. I thought you didn't want me anymore."

A pang of guilt rings through Azura as she squeezed his hand. "Oh, Corrin, no! I can't ever think of you that way. If anything, I'm more afraid of not being enough for  _you_  and disappointing me."

"Azura—"

"And besides, don't you remember last night? I told you, I never stopped loving you. I want to marry you, but I don't want to become queen of Valla. If I  _do_  marry you, then—"

"Then don't," was Corrin's immediately answer. Shocked, Azura looked towards him to see his face set in the  _thinking_  mode, complete with the set jaw, distracted staring, and chin rubbing.

"I'm not really familiar with this kind of politics yet, but I'm pretty sure there's a thing called a Regent and a Consort. I think a Regent is what you're afraid of, going in front of people and talking to them. A Consort is…just like the behind-the-scenes, you know? They're the ones doing all the paperwork in the castle while the Regent is the one responsible going out in public and doing all that jazz," he said. "What if, if we marry, you abdicate the throne to me, since you're the rightful heir, if Vallite royalty has the same policies as Nohrian ones, and I become King-Regent. Then you'll be Queen-Consort and both of us are happy."

Azura pursed her lips. That was…exactly what she wanted. Not having to socialize with other people? Being able to keep to herself? What did she ever do to have met a person like Corrin. She chuckled, suddenly feeling playful.

"That…sounds surprisingly nice," she admitted gratefully after a few moments. "Except there's one part of your statement that still bothers me."

"Hm?"

Azura stepped closer to him so that her lips were right next to his ear. "It's like I said before, it's not a question of 'if', but of 'when' we marry. I hope you have better proposal planned later, because if this was it…"

She let the mock threat linger, and Corrin knew she was only joking, but he couldn't help but shiver as a chill ran down his spine as Azura pressed a kiss to his neck. When she pulled back, she was smiling, so Corrin took it as a good sign.

"So…you're good?" he asked stupidly.

Azura giggled. "I am now," she replied before turning and bouncing down the steps.

"Make sure you stay safe!" he called after her.

"Don't worry, I will!" she called back.

"And don't try to overuse your song!"

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, turning around to look at Corrin in his study one last time before tomorrow. "Don't worry, I'll keep myself in one piece for you."

Corrin smiled, and a flash of love rushed through Azura's body before she turned away again and walked down her stairs, the image of Corrin smiling brilliantly at her causing a smile to break out on her lips as she made her way down to the bottom level, where Laslow, Silas, and Kaze were waiting. Laslow was busy talking with Kaze, who looked as neutral as always, but when he turned towards Azura, she could've sworn she saw a flash of relief in his eyes.

"Lord Corrin told us about how Silas and I were to act as your 'acting retainers' during the course of this rescue operation," the green-haired ninja greeted as the trio walked towards the armory.

"Wait, what about himself then?" Silas asked. "If both of us are protecting you, then shouldn't one of us—"

"Corrin's not coming," Azura said simply. "He has too much work to do, and now that he is the heir to the Vallite throne, nobody wants to take the risk of him dying."

"I doubt it," Laslow snorted. "Lord Corrin? Dying at the hands of one of Anankos' Faceless. Please, tell me another joke."

Kaze's expression remained neutral, but his tone indicated that he too, was somewhat amused, though nowhere near as much as Laslow. "That…would be tragic."

"Anyways," Laslow said, putting his arm around Azura's shoulder. She immediately shied away, working herself out from his unfamiliar touch. For a split second, Laslow's eyes flashed with surprise, hurt, and exasperation as he removed his arm. "So tell us, what's up with the big smile?"

"What smile?" Azura asked, still smiling from the memory of Corrin's smile. "I'm…simply deciding whether or not I should open myself up to others."

Laslow looked like he was about to say something, but instead tilted his head and shook a finger at her. "Ah…you're learning what humor is, aren't you?"

"I know what it is."

"Laslow, you should probably back off," Silas said, though he was also smiling at the sight of Laslow poking Azura's cheek, trying to force a smile out of her.

"Come on, you can smile if you want."

"…no."


	4. Chapter 4

"This way. Please follow me."

Azura grimaced and squinted her eyes as she and the rest of the search party behind her followed Lilith through the portal the little dragon had created. Just as quickly as the light appeared, however, the light died and faded away, leaving nothing save for the wisp of ethereal energy floating behind them.

The battlefield was the same as they had left it, with stars glittering in the purple void around them and slabs of solid rock and land slowly floating up into air, as if they were underwater. The sudden shift from late morning in the astral plane, to blinding white light, to indigo evening was jarring, and it took several minutes of deep breaths and massaging her head before she felt steady enough to stand up straight.

"Everyone good?" Silas called. Before they left the astral planes to travel back to Valla, Corrin had instructed the search party that Silas was to be in charge, with Kaze as his second. Azura knew the reasoning behind picking the leaders for the search party. Silas and Kaze had been nothing but loyal to Corrin throughout the war, and with both of them as his personal retainers, any questions about their loyalty to their liege was rendered null and void.

Azura turned to see Silas, Kaze, Oboro, Hinata, Odin, Niles, Laslow, Selena, Leo, and Takumi behind her, all of them hunched over, as if expecting a blow. Blinking the spots out of her eyes, Takumi looked up at where Lilith was bobbing peacefully over their heads, completely unaffected by the consequences of their most recent warping.

"What is it with you dragons, being unaffected by stuff like warping?" Takumi asked. "Is it just because you're a dragon, and we're human?"

Lilith dipped her head as she floated down to Takumi's eyeline. "I'm afraid I don't understand the question," she said calmly. "And besides, it's not really warping as it is opening a portal to a—"

Takumi rolled his eyed and waved her away. "Whatever. Just stop talking, will you? Forget I said anything."

Lilith clamped her jaw shut as she bobbed up and down.

"Is everyone ready to move out?" Silas called again. The paladin was already the first to recover, and before long, the rest of their part sounded in the affirmative.

"This way. Please, follow me," Lilith said as she floated slowly towards the ruins of Castle Gyges. Everyone looked at each other uncertainly.

"Uh, why…are we going back to the castle?" Hinata asked, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't Azura say that everyone in the dungeons were dead or turned into Anankos' slaves? Why are we going back to the castle to look for survivors?"

"We're not going to the castle to look for survivors," Lilith explained patiently as she floated towards the Hoshidan retainer. "Castle Gyges is home to many ancient artifacts and sources of information. Among them is the location of where Anankos kept his slaves. He didn't have the resources to build a specialized castle or prison for the slaves, so instead, he used the already existing forts and smaller castles around the kingdom as the Vallites' prisons. We'll be going to the castle to see if we can find some documents telling us which ones Anankos used and where they are."

"Wait, how do you know this?" Leo asked suspiciously. "I understand if you have knowledge of Anankos or of Valla, due to your status as a dragon, but how do you know about what that dragon kept in his treasury?"

When Lilith faltered for an answer, Azura stepped forward. "Lilith has served Corrin for many years, Leo," she reminded. "Are you perhaps suggesting that she's a traitor?"

"No, of course not," Leo said, shaking his head. "But do you not find it somewhat suspicious that Lilith would know the contents of Anankos' chambers?"

"I…I do," Azura admitted guiltily, glancing at Lilith floating beside her, "but I'm still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Not mentioning the rest of Corrin's retainers, she's served him the longest. I doubt she's one to turn on us, especially after Anankos is dead."

"Thank you," Lilith said, gratefully bowing her head. "It truly heartens me to hear those words."

"Looks like somebody's optimism rubbed off on them," Leo said under his breath. Louder, he asked, "But what if we can't find the records? A castle can only provide shelter so many people, and according to history, there are still at least a good few thousand left alive down here in Valla, right? Even Castle Krackenburg, which is known to be one of the largest castles ever built in history can only house about two thousand people. Since Castle Gyges is nowhere  _near_  as large as Castle Krackenburg, that means they're bound to be spread out across a series of smaller castles and forts, right?"

When Azura faltered, Silas stepped forward, placing himself between the songstress and the Nohrian prince. "We'll find them," Silas said seriously. "We've come this far, haven't we?"

Leo's shoulders fell. "Fine. We'll follow you," he said. Then turning around at Lilith, he jabbed a finger at her and added, "But know that if you show any signs of turning traitor, I'll put you down on the spot. Like a dog."

Lilith tilted her head. She knew, of course, that Prince Leo would be willing to do it, but she was also confident in her abilities to survive and escape if such an event came to pass. If she wanted to, at least.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"There's no need to be so harsh, Leo," Azura said. "Why are you—"

"We're just trying to keep everyone safe, alright?" Leo said exasperatingly. "Isn't there a Hoshidan saying about victory—"

"Defeat is always most bitter before victory," Oboro interrupted. "Actually, the saying goes something like—"

"That's not important," Leo interrupted, causing Oboro's face to turn a violet shade of red as her hands automatically reached down for the dagger by her waist, only pausing when Takumi grabbed her wrist and shook her head.

Leo turned towards Lilith. "Please, forgive if I have been needlessly cruel towards you, but you have to understand, Lilith. We literally just killed a  _god._ A god that, mind you, could have an entire network of spies and assassins hiding among us at any time. I doubt that you would be one of them, but we can never be too careful, right?"

Lilith dipped her head again. "I…suppose that makes sense," she said slowly. "But trust me, I would never do anything to harm Lord Corrin or his family. My life is indebted to him, and me paying him back with a knife in his back would be a poor way of giving my gratification, no?"

Leo pursed his lips. "I suppose not." He glanced towards Azura, who nodded supportively. Leo had always been one to speak bluntly and to speak his mind, no matter how acidic his tone could be. Him simply saying "I suppose not," was his version of an apology, albeit a rather cynical one.

"Well, if you two are done, perhaps we could begin our trek?" Kaze asked. "The longer we stand here bickering, the longer those poor slaves are suffering."

"I agree," Lilith said, floating away towards the ruins of the dilapidated castle. "Please, follow me."

* * *

For the next day and a half, or at least what passed as "days" in the ruined Valla, the search party made their way towards the destroyed Castle. Normally, they would've been able to make a beeline straight for the castle, but due to the land being literally ripped into the air, they were forced to navigate around a series of islands.

It took them nearly another day, before they found themselves standing in the field where they had made their final stand against Anankos. The field itself was barely anything other than a few scattered strips of rock and dirt floating precariously into the air, courtesy of Anankos. Due to the hazardous terrain, they were forced to cross the entire field one at a time, hanging on for dear life onto Lilith as she ferried them across the ruined field.

Eventually, however, they were all on the other side of the field, in front of the ruined gate, safe and sound. While the actual battle took place outside the castle walls, in the nearby fields, the castle was still all but trashed by Anankos.

As they walked through the ruined hall, towards where Anankos had reigned in the throne room, Azura looked up. The entirety of the castle's grand roof had been blown apart when Anankos embraced his true draconic form, exposing the hallway to the elements. Azura noted with some interest that the black hole Anankos had summoned prior to their fight was still floating above them, slightly distorting their vision, albeit on a much smaller scale and less powerful.

Azura gingerly hopped over a suspicions piece of rubble sticking up precariously from the ground, only for a glint of what seemed like gold to catch her eye. She gave a quick glance towards the front of the party, and stooped over to investigate the flash.

To her surprise, it was one of the golden doors they had opened before fighting Gunter and Anankos in the throne room. The names were still carved on the golden leaves, and though most of them were illegible, Azura could clearly see Corrin's birth name, Kamui, glinting brightly underneath her aunt's name.

"What's wrong, Azura?" Takumi asked as he picked his way over a collapsed statue. "Find something interesting?"

"…No," Azura said hesitatingly. "Just thought I saw something move."

Takumi nodded slowly. "Ah. I see. You feel it too then?"

"Feel what?"

Takumi looked nervously behind himself. "I don't know," he said uncertainly. "It…it just  _feels_  like something's about to go wrong, you know? It's like a sixth sense or something."

"Well, considering how we're standing where Anankos used to reign, I wouldn't be surprised," Azura replied cynically. "Anankos certainly has a habit of making everything going wrong whenever he's around."

Takumi drew his cheeks in, realizing he was now stepped on sensitive ground. "Yeah. I guess."

They didn't see any undead soldiers, which relieved Azura, but they did encounter a Faceless stooped over a pile of rubble, tossing bits and pieces out behind it. As they approached, Azura could've sword she heard it mutter, "Brother," before Leo promptly sank a shaft of barbed electricity into it's back, causing it to stiffen and fall anticlimactically forward onto its face before dissipating into purple smoke.

Azura gave a glance over her shoulder at the sight of the iron shackles resting on the floor.

_Anthony was turned into a Faceless. Could it be possible that his other servant were turned into—_

Azura shook her head. Now was not the time to be think of such things.  _Especially_  now.

Finally, after what felt like another day of picking their way over the ruins, Silas held up a closed fist over his shoulder. "We'll rest here for tonight," he ordered. "Er—well, for whatever counts as night down here. Kaze, Oboro. You two take first watch."

The group spread out in preparation for setting up their tents, though it was unneeded since they knew rain would never set again in Valla, but a break from the sight of the gray rubble around them was a welcome one. Azura looked up from where she was trying to hammer down a stake into a bag when a bag slammed down onto the ground in front of her.

"I'll be tenting with you," a female voice announced.

Azura looked up to see Selena staring crossly down at her. Knowing her, Azura knew she was more bark than bite, though the redhead was still able to lop off a Faceless' head with ease.

"That's fine," she said, frowning as she missed the stake for the fourth time. Finally growing frustrated, Azura sat back down on her haunches and stared dejectedly at the mallet and stake bag in her hand. "This is useless," she muttered. "The ground's too hard for the stakes to even penetrate, much less go in"

Selena rolled her eyes before gently pushing Azura out of the way and grabbing the tools from her, albeit a lot more gently than Azura has expected. "You're useless at this," she muttered. "You just have to…first set the stake in a place where it's soft enough for the stake to penetrate, but hard enough so that a breeze won't just blow it away."

As if on cue, the stake slid neatly into ground. Selena smirked as she took the mallet from Azura and proceeded to pound the stake further into the ground. Within minutes, all four stakes were embedded firmly into the ground.

"Hand me the rain fly, would you? I know it'll probably never rain down here again, but you can never be too careful."

Azura mutely handed the needed item to the redhead. "How do you know how to set up a tent so quickly?" she asked, an eyebrow raising in an expression of astonishment as Selena proceeded to set up the tent poles. "I know you're a retainer, and that you're supposed to serve your liege first and foremost, but I've never seen someone able to set up a tent so quickly."

Selena looked up and blew a tuft of red hair out of her eyes. "Old habits die hard, milady. Old habits die hard."

Selena sighed and rested a hand on her hips as she stood back to admire her handiwork. By now, the tent was completely set up, and Azura was even surprised to see a little campfire set up in front of the shelter, though it was far away enough so that the tent wouldn't spontaneously catch on fire if the wind decided to blow toward the cloth walls. If there was wind, that is.

"You set up a campfire too?" Azura asked incredulously. "How did—"

"Old habits die hard," Selena repeated, stooping down to pick up her bag and chuck it into the tent. "Right side's mine. Don't go digging through my stuff."

* * *

Later that night, they found themselves gathered around a larger campfire, also set up by Selena. Azura sat herself down on a piece of rubble, large enough for her to comfortably draw her legs up and rest her chin on her knees, but small enough so that only she could sit on it. That was alright, though, since everyone else managed to pull up another equally piece of rubble or debris and were now settling down around the campfire.

Azura perked up when she felt something brush her back, but when she turned around, all she saw was Lilith peering up at her with those adorable puppy-like eyes, and without thinking, Azura's hand automatically reached out to pat Lilith on the head.

As soon as her hand touched Lilith's scaly head, however, Azura drew her hand back sharply, as if it had burned her. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I—"

"It's fine," Lilith said gently. "It's probably my fault for not giving you a warning."

Azura refolded her arm around her legs as she looked at Lilith curiously. "Oh, um, alright. Why did you need?"

"Oh, I'm simply feeling cold," Lilith said. Then, feeling sheepish, she asked "Is it alright if I…nest myself in your hair?"

"Nest…in my hair?" Azura asked. At first, she wasn't sure what to say, but when Lilith looked up at her again with those golden eyes, she found herself smiling. "O-of course you may, Lilith. Here, let me arrange my hair real—"

"Oh, there's no need!" Lilith gently butted her side, nuzzling where Azura's long blue hair touched her back until she was able to create a space between Azura's skin and her hair.

Azura fought back a smile but was unable to stop herself from wriggling as she felt Lilith slide over her back. "That tickles!"

"My apologies," Lilith said. "I suppose my scales…aren't the most comfortable surface to rub against. I can get out if—"

"No, no, you're fine," Azura said, settling back to her previous position. "I just…I just didn't expect you to be…so warm."

Azura felt her back vibrate as Lilith…purred? "Ah. I see."

Azura looked behind her at the Lilith-sized bulge sticking out of her back. "Wait, if you're so warm, then how come you need to nest in my hair for warmth?"

"I…I lied," Lilith said guiltily. "I…I don't actually feel cold. I…I just needed a place where I could feel safe."

"Safe?"

"Somewhere where I know Anankos' presence won't be."

"So…in my hair?"

"…Yes."

Azura felt a ghost of a smile tickle her lips. "Alright. Fair enough, I guess. My hair used to be my room, back during my childhood in Nohr, you know."

Even as those words left her mouth, Azura felt a…feeling encompass her insides. It wasn't painful or unpleasant, but rather…different. What was she doing, telling Lilith such things? Obviously, she had more serious things on her mind, so why is she even trying to—

"Ah yes, I remember having hair," Lilith mused, sticking her head from behind Azura's curtain of hair. "It was a pain though, in the mornings. I'm sorry for messing up your hair like this, Lady Azura. I shouldn't have done this to you. Give me a moment to get out—"

"No, you're fine!" Azura said, a little bit too quickly. Inwardly, she cringed. Why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden? She normally talked this much with another person, or in this case, a weird cat-dragon-bird-guardian thing. "Please, stay. Even if you just wanted to bundle yourself up in my hair to feel safe, I'm fine with it. It's not like all this hair had a use, anyways."

"Then why do you keep it so long then?" Lilith asked. "It's been a while since I was in my human form, but the one problem I kept having with it was that when it got wet, it became super heavy. You're a Vallite princess, aren't you? Isn't your…I don't know, isn't your entire kingdom  _based_  on water?"

Azura drew her legs closer to her chest, her hand scrabbling blindly for a warm hand she knew would not be there, and upon meeting cold stone, promptly wrapped her arm around her legs again. "I don't know," she said after a moment's silence. "Everything…everything is so different now. Half the time, I can't tell whether or not this is a dream."

"It isn't," Lilith affirmed. Azura turned to look down at her.

"Anankos is dead," Lilith declared. "Lord Corrin is alive. You're alive. Everyone here is alive. It's not a dream."

"But what if it was?" Azura asked. "I mean,  _you_  can't prove it, and I can't prove it, so—"

Azura stifled a yelp behind her hand as she felt Lilith's tail wrap around her stomach and squeeze—Lilith's version of a hug, since her front paws were eternally stuck carrying that odd crystal orb thing around. "We're all trusted friends here, Lady Azura," Lilith said. "Trust me. This isn't a dream. You're really here, sitting with your friends and family, and I'm here trying to give a hug. It's not a dream."

Azura stayed tense for a second, before finally sighing and breathing again. "I guess you're right," she said. "Maybe I'm just overthinking everything."

"Possibly."

The two females fell into a comfortable silence, a silence only broken when Lilith asked, "Why don't you sit with the others?"

Azura flinched, something that did not go unnoticed by the little dragon. "O-others?"

"Yeah! I meant Prince Leo, Prince Takumi…all the other people that came down here with you. Why don't you sit with them?"

Azura pursed her lips as she drew her legs even tighter. "Oh, um…I'm…I'm more comfortable being alone," she said quietly. "I'm not really a people type of person."

Azura felt Lilith bob her head up and down, as if she were nodding. "Ah, I see. Makes sense. I'm sort of the same way too."

"You too?" Azura asked. "Really? You've been serving Corrin for…how long? And you're still socially awkward?"

"Well, there was a reason why I wanted to be a stable girl instead of Lord Corrin's retainer," Lilith said. "I'm not like you. I'm not as shy or socially awkward as you. I can talk comfortably to others, unlike you."

Azura heard Lilith gasp as her head pushed itself out from under her left arm. "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry!" Lilith exclaimed. "I didn't mean to insult you! I-I—"

"You're fine." Azura could now feel her facial muscles contorting into a smile. "I guess you're right. I've always been quiet, but Nohr…just sort of cemented it in me, I guess. I was never one to strut around, all lady-like like those duchesses and nobles in Garon's court. I…I mostly preferred to stay in the back."

"Same." Now that she felt relaxed again that her accidental insult did not actually hurt Azura, Lilith withdrew her head again behind Azura's hair. "I always preferred working in the shadows, making sure Lord Corrin was safe and whatnot."

Azura, suddenly feeling playful, asked, "Is there any other reason why you wanted to dedicate your life to him so badly?"

"He saved my life once, you know," Lilith said. "He found me while I was in my dragon form. He was so young at the time…he thought I was a bird!"

"A bird?"

"Yup! Though, him being barely past the age of seven at the time, seeing something larger than a butterfly fly around and mistaking it for a bird could be a reasonable mistake."

"Is…is there anything else you know about Corrin that I wouldn't know?"

Azura's back vibrated again as Lilith purred. "Hmm…well, yes, actually. I don't know if I should tell you this, but—"

"Tell me," Azura ordered. "I want to know."

Though Azura couldn't see her, Lilith bared her fangs into a toothy approximation of a human smile. "Well, if you wish. I don't know if you know this, but I heard Lord Corrin enjoys writing little love poems, especially to a certain songstress…"

* * *

"Dinner's ready!" Laslow announced, though in a quiet undertone. Anankos may be dead, but they never knew if a wandering Faceless decided to test their mettle, so it was always better to play it safe.

Laslow had volunteered to cook, something everybody was skeptical at first, but that was before the smell hit them.

"Wow, Laslow!" Hinata said enthusiastically as Laslow poured the youth a  _fourth_  bowl of soup. "I didn't know you could cook!"

Laslow chuckled amicably. "Ah, well, I guess when your beloved is one of the best cooks in the army, you tend to pick up a few things. Plus, my mother was in a class all by herself."

"Oh, she was in a class all by herself all right!" Odin said loudly, prompting the others to shush him.

"We're still in the middle of what could be hostile territory, you ass!" Selena hissed. "Are you  _trying_  to get us killed?"

"My apologies, my friend," Odin said, in a much quieter voice, twisting his hand in an odd gesture over his chest. "It was not my intention to disturb the natives of this land. All I wished was to tell the other members of our noble party the beauty and cook that my gray-haired friend's mother was—is! Hark! Beautiful isn't even the best word to describe her! A better word would be… _seductive._ "

"Who're you calling gray-haired?" Laslow said indignantly. "It's indi—w-wait what? What did you say about my mother?"

As the two men started to bicker back and forth, Selena shot a venomous yet oddly affectionate glare at them before rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Can it, the two of you," she snapped. "I'm trying to eat here!"

"And don't you ever call my mother seductive again, you hear me?" Laslow said venomously as Odin freed himself from his fellow retainer's headlock. Odin merely grinned and darted back to lightly jab Laslow in the side before hiding behind Selena.

Laslow cursed as he dropped the ladle, spilling soup everywhere. "Oh, you son of a—"

Everyone glanced nervously at each other as Laslow unsheathed his sword and sat himself on a piece of rubble, took out a whetstone, and began sharpening his blade.

"Blonde-haired-ass, delusional-ass, not-a-single-chest-hair-on-your-chest-lookin' ass wannabe actor," he muttered darkly under his breath, though his true emotions were betrayed by the small smile on his face.

At that, everyone burst out laughing, partly due to the relief of not having to watch two of their party brawl it out, but also due to Laslow's…interesting insult. Even Leo cracked a rare smile, though he tried to hide it behind his hand.

"If you two were any closer, I would've thought you as husband and wife," he deadpanned, looking at, Laslow, and Odin, who perked up as soon as they realized that Leo was talking to them.

"Three," Odin corrected automatically, earning himself a glare from Selena. "Laslow and Selena have been my most noblest of comrades ever since…since when?"

"First off, you don't need to say 'most noblest,'" Selena interrupted. "Just say most. You don't need both."

"Yes, because saying 'my most noblest of comrades' is worse than saying 'my most of comrades,'" Laslow said drily.

Everyone guffawed as Selena turned a shade of red matching that of her hair's. "Y-you shut up!" she snapped. "You know that's not what I meant!"

"Relax," Odin said soothingly, sidling up behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders. "No need for you to work yourself up so much. We're only jesting, after all."

Selena lurched away from the blonde mage and jabbed a finger in his face. "I'm perfectly calm, thank you very much!" she said in a not-very-calm manner. "I don't know how you two can be so…so—"

"So relaxed?" Laslow offered.

"Thickskulled?" Odin said at the same time.

Selena opened her mouth to utter those exact two words, before electing shooting an even more venomous glare at the two men before turning away and ducking into the tent she and Azura shared. Everyone looked after her nervously as Odin and Laslow shook their heads amicably and fist-bumped each other.

"How long was that?" Odin asked.

"I think we set a new record!" Laslow said brightly. "Only took us three seconds this time, compared to the four and a half from last time!"

"Oh, she'll get over it in a few minutes," Laslow said when the others gave him and Odin a  _what the hell?_ Look. "Trust me, if she was actually angry, we probably wouldn't be alive right now."

"I am angry!" Selena shouted from her tent, her voice muffled. "I am very, very angry!"

"And…there she goes," Odin said, smiling as he scooped up the ladle Laslow had dropped. "Here you go."

"Cheers," Laslow thanked as he took the utensil from the dark mage's hands. He was about to dip the ladle back in the soup before a look of disgust overcame his face. "Actually, on second thought, it would probably be a better idea for me to wash this off before I stick it in the pot everyone's eating from, huh?"

"Where are you going to wash it?" Kaze asked. "I doubt going off by yourself for the sake of washing a single spoon is worth the trouble of finding a clean source of water."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Hinata said. "There's a little waterfall about a few hundred feet away. Me and Niles saw it when we were on patrol duty. It must've been some sort of decoration, since we couldn't see where the water was coming from but judging by how we saw a couple of animals drink from it, it has to be pretty safe, right?"

Silas rubbed his chin. "Still…I don't like the idea of you going off by yourself. It's dark and there could be Faceless prowling about."

"It's always dark though," Takumi deadpanned. "I don't know if you noticed or not, but we've been down here for, what, nearly a full day now? It's been the same brightness since yesterday!"

"That's besides the point," Leo said, waving aside Takumi's objection. He turned towards Laslow. "Still…Silas is right. If you feel this strongly about having a clean spoon, take someone with you at least."

"Ah, I see you also have the ability to read minds!" Laslow said good naturedly as he walked away. "Lady Azura can be my buddy. She can watch my back while I go wash the spoon."

Azura started and lifted her head from where she was watching the firelight dancing on the floor beneath her seat. "W-what?"

"I said, you're coming with me to watch my back while I wash off the spoon that Odin made me drop on the ground," Laslow said as he walked past her. "Don't worry, we're not going far," he added as Azura looked back nervously at the group. "Just to a little waterfall Niles and Hinata saw."

"O-oh. Um, alright," she said, quietly apologizing to Lilith as the little dragon reluctantly floated out from behind her.

Laslow couldn't help but stare at Azura's legs as she hopped to the floor, dusting the dust off the front of her dress. Upon catching Laslow's hastily averted glance towards her, Azura planted her hands on her hips.

"What would Peri think if she knew you were looking at other women?" she asked.

That was all she needed to say. Laslow coughed awkwardly and turned away. "I-I think we both know what would happen, and quite frankly, I wish I didn't. C'mon, let's go."

* * *

As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, and as the light from the campfire died away so that the only light came from the lantern Azura held, Laslow suddenly turned around. "Lady Azura?"

"Yes?" She paused in her tracks as Laslow turned to face her. There was an…unexpected amount of emotion in his eyes, and Azura unconsciously took a step backwards.

"If you're going to flirt with me…" she started, but was cut off as Laslow sighed.

"Do you know about Lord Corrin and Anankos' relationship?" he asked.

Azura felt the world grow cold around her as Laslow tilted his head. "N…no," she lied. "I don't."

Laslow sighed again and kneaded his eyes. "Well, I suppose this'll take a while then. Here's the rundown version: Anankos was the deity of the Vallites, right?"

Azura nodded.

"One day, he started showing signs of madness, which caused the people to turn against, and  _in turn_  caused his…condition to worsen, and that was when he overthrew your mother and killed thousands of people, right?"

Another silent nod.

Laslow rubbed the back of his head as he rested his elbow on a piece of rubble behind him. "Well…there's more to it than that," he said slowly. "Before he went completely mad, Anankos tore out a part of his soul, the part untainted by the darker desires of his mind. That soul part took the form of a human, who your aunt, Mikoto, met and eventually fell in love with. Sumeragi was never Lord Corrin's father. It was actually Anankos who fathered him, not Sumeragi. That's why Lord Corrin can transform into a dragon and such. That's because he  _literally_  has the blood of the dragons running through his veins. He didn't get this ability because the gods decided to favor him, or because of chance, but because his father was the one responsible for butchering your people."

It didn't get easier the second time Azura heard it, but she continued to maintain an air of ignorance. "How do you know this?" she asked. "Even if it  _was_  true, how do you know this?"

"Because there's more to it than just that," another voice said.

Azura flinched as a dark portal appeared behind Laslow, and Odin and Selena stepped forth. The dark mage looked uncharacteristically somber and serious and the same time, and judging by the way her fists were clenched, Selena wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Are you sure we should tell her?" Selena asked. "It's possible knowing too much may cause her more harm."

"She can handle it," Odin said, giving Azura a meaningful glance. "She handled Valla's secret for nearly fifteen years, didn't she? I'm sure she can handle the truth about Corrin and our heroic origin story."

"Now's not the time," Laslow snapped, sounding much more serious than usual. "Just…just cut it with the hero talk, will you?"

His shoulders hunched, Laslow turned back towards Azura. "Lady Azura, the reason we're telling you this is…is because we felt you should be the first to know about us and Corrin. You're the one most familiar and knowledgeable about Anankos, and you've suffered the most at his hands, so we thought it would be…easier, somehow, for us to tell you all of this first."

"The truth is…we're also servants of Anankos," Selena admitted.

Azura would've widened her eyes. She would've taken a step back as she considered crying for help, but after Corrin's confession to her that morning, all she did as raise an eyebrow. "Which Anankos, the one that butchered my people or the one that fathered Corrin?"

"W-wait, you actually believe us?" Odin asked incredulously. "I-I know Laslow can be about as transparent as a glass pane sometimes, but this topic is incredibly complex and convoluted, even for one so intellectually skilled such as me! Are you sure you understand this, what we're implying?"

"I do," Azura affirmed, nodding her head. She sucked on her lip for a second before replying. Normally, she would never spout off such secrets, especially one as dark and convoluted as Corrin's true parentage, but if they knew…

"Tell me, does anyone else know?"

The three retainers shook their head. "No, just us four now," Laslow said. "Why?"

"Because…Corrin told me…everything," Azura admitted. "Everything. About him. About Anankos. About his father. Everything."

"Then why did you say you didn't know?" Laslow asked.

"Well, because if word got out that our prince was the son of the enemy, the men would lose moral," Azura pointed out. "And besides, I only found out a couple days ago, after the battle but before we left to find the slaves."

"How did Lord Corrin find out then?" Selena asked. "Anankos charged us with keeping this a secret from even our lieges! We thought we were the only ones who knew! How did he find out?"

"He met him," Azura said simply. "Anankos talked with Corrin, told him everything. That's how he knew, and later, he told me."

The trio looked at each other nervously. "Well?" Laslow asked. "How do you feel about this then?"

"I don't care," she replied truthfully. "I already told Corrin this, but I'll say it to you three. It doesn't matter what kind of person or god your father was. It doesn't change what kind of person you are, and as far as I'm concerned, Corrin is the kindest, most supportive person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm more than happy to call my…I'm more than happy to spend my life with him."

Odin rose an eyebrow and whistled. "He proposed to you already?"

Azura pursed her lips. "W-well, it'll be  _nice_  if he did but—"

"This isn't important," Laslow interrupted. He stepped forward and grabbed Azura somewhat forcefully by the shoulders. "Listen to me, Lady Azura. Anankos, the one that fathered Corrin and not the one who killed your people, called upon us three to help him defeat his insanity."

"You know we're not from neither Nohr, nor Hoshido or any of the other countries," Odin claimed. "In fact, we're not even of this world. In truth, we are actually…we were heroes whisked from another dimension so we could beat back the calamity that was Anankos!"

"When we say 'whisked,' what we really mean was that we  _felt_  someone calling for help," Selena explained.

"'Felt?'"

Laslow sighed and kneaded his head. "Look, look, this is already getting complicated. Let's just start from the beginning, shall we?"

Though the other two looked apprehensive, Odin and Selena nodded. Laslow gestured towards a piece of rubble large enough for Azura sit on. "Please, take a seat, milady. This is going to take a while, so you'll want to sit for this."

"I'm listening," Azura said. "Go ahead."

"Well, this all started when a prince found what would soon become his tactician and best friend lying unconscious in the middle of a field…" Laslow started.


	5. Chapter 5

"If it wasn't for the fact that I had this exact same reaction when Corrin told me his side of the story, I wouldn't have believed you."

Laslow, Selena, and Odin all looked at each other. "So…you believe us?" Odin asked hesitatingly. "And you actually understand the meaning of what we just said?"

Azura sighed. "Of course I do," she replied breezily. "It lines up pretty well with what that tactician said about himself during our invasion on Valla, and for some reason, I can't help but feel as if I've heard rumors of this 'Ylisse' and 'Valm' before. Don't know when or where I heard those names, but I remember hearing them. And besides, picturing Lilith as Corrin's sister…just somehow…feels right, for whatever reason."

Laslow sighed and clapped his hands together. "Well, now you know the truth. My real name is actually Inigo and me and my group were sent here, to your world, to help Anankos stop his other self from taking over the world."

"Just one question," Azura said, raising a finger. "You said Anankos wanted you to kill him, right? Then how come it was Corrin who wielded Yato and not one of you three?"

"We never said we were supposed to kill Anankos," Selena said. "Pay attention! I said we were supposed to  _help_  Lord Corrin finish off Anankos. And besides, if the Yato works anything like the Falchion in our world, it will only choose one bearer to wield it."

"But you said Anankos was supposed to send you to Hoshido," Azura noted. "How were you supposed to help Corrin if you were— _ah_. I see."

Odin nodded sadly. "And that's the reason why this whole quest of ours took so long. We were  _supposed_  to land in Hoshido, but due to unforeseen circumstances, our noble party found refuge in Nohr!"

"Ironically, either way, we wound up under Lord Corrin's service, if indirectly," Laslow said drily. "You see, Anankos—the insane one—tried to interfere by bringing Lord Corrin to Nohr, only, funnily enough, we landed in Nohr  _because_  Anankos tried to interfere. Had he let events flow naturally, we would've just ended up in Nohr and Lord Corrin in Hoshido, or us ending up in Hoshido and Lord Corrin in Nohr."

"That's…fortunate," Azura said, unconsciously clutching her pendant as the thought of a life without ever knowing Corrin washed over her subconsciousness. "So had that happened, you would've ended up trapped in our world?"

"Well, not exactly," Odin said, reaching into his pockets and revealing a crystal, similar to that of which Robin had shattered to travel back to his world. "Before he died, Anankos gave us these crystals. He said that we could travel back to our world after this whole endeavor was over, or we could remain in this world and continue living here. That being said…he never did forbid us from leaving prematurely."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because we're not assholes, duh!" Selena said. "We  _grew up_  in a hell. We couldn't just let the same thing happen  _twice_ , after all. Better we risk our lives all over again to save a world we know nothing about than to sit in a world lazing about idly, knowing we could've done something, right?"

"But how did you three help Corrin defeat Anankos?" Azura asked. "I mean, I know you served in his own personal elite guard, but you were never as close to him as Ryoma or Xander was. The way you portrayed your 'quest' was that you were supposed to work directly alongside Corrin like Ryoma or Xander did, yet I never saw any of you do that."

Laslow tugged at his lips guiltily. "This…that's where we failed," he said regretfully. "We weren't able to convince Garon, who was already possessed by Anankos at that point, to appoint us as Lord Corrin's personal guards and retainers, even though we had more than proved our mettle in our duel with our future lieges, so we were subjugated to just being retainers. Every time our lieges visited Lord Corrin, however, we did whatever we could to make sure at least one of us were able to visit him. Beyond that, there wasn't much we could do without placing the entire mission at risk."

"What about during the war then?" Azura asked. "Surely, your lieges would've understood your mission had you told them about it, right?"

Laslow sucked on his lip. "Well…about that…do you remember Scarlet's death?"

Azura nodded. How could she? She was, after all, the one to comfort Corrin over her death

"That's when whispers of betrayal started arising," Odin said. "It was thus rendered impossible for us to properly introduce our other selves without instantly painting a target on our backs."

"But what before the invasion?" Azura asked. "Surely, you could've done so before, right?"

"If we  _had_  told Lord Corrin and our lieges the truth, wouldn't that still accomplish the same goal as marking us as potential traitors later on?" Selena asked. "Plus, we were sworn into secrecy by Anankos dying breath, so we couldn't exactly go back on the promise we made to a guy that literally sacrificed his life for us, now could we?"

Azura nodded slowly. "I see."

"Plus, we arrived in this world, we had no idea where Lord Corrin was imprisoned at the time," Laslow chimed in. "And we couldn't exactly demand where the location of one of Garon's most closely-guarded secrets, now could we?"

"I suppose not," Azura said, crossing her arms. "Still, it would've heartened me to know that at least there were three very capable, very determined warriors looking after Corrin."

"Please, forgive us," Laslow said, bowing and twisting his hand over his chest in an odd salute. Selena and Odin followed suite, as Azura looked at them in confusion.

"What're you apologizing to me for?" she asked. "I'm not the one who you were supposed to help take down Anankos. If anything, you should be apologizing to Corrin, and even then, you probably don't even need to since the entire situation got out of your hands. We can't blame you for having a  _god_  interfere with your plans to help us and keep us safe.  _Plus_ , we killed Anankos, so it's not like your apology is going to do anything anyways."

"I suppose," Selena said. "But just because we  _could_  get off scot-free doesn't mean we  _should_."

"Don't."

The three retainers looked up at the sudden anger and  _frustration_  in Azura's voice. Realizing why they looked so startled as they were by her tone, Azura softened it. "Corrin used to say the same," she explained. "Back when Scarlet died, her death hit him harder than it did for even Ryoma. He wanted to give up, to  _roll over and die_  all because one of the soldiers under his command died instead of him and that the invasion didn't go the way he thought it would. He wanted  _himself_  to be the one to have taken the blow, not Scarlet, yet here he is now, doing paperwork back at the astral plane, safe and sound. Just because he  _could've_  taken the blow for Scarlet doesn't mean he  _should've_. Do you understand?"

The three retainers nodded mutely. "I see," Laslow said. "I apol—"

"Furthermore, just because you  _felt_  like you didn't do enough doesn't mean you  _didn't_  do enough," Azura continued. "I used to think the same. I was just a songstress and a walking source of information on Valla and Anankos. I thought I was worthless on the battlefield and a hindrance off it, yet Corrin never saw me that way. Without sounding too narcissistic or stroking my own ego, I was the catalyst to his performance. If Corrin could find value in me for just existing, I'm sure he'll be able to understand and forgive you for trying to help him deal with Anankos."

"…"

"…"

"…"

The three retainers were silent. Finally, Laslow broke the silence by saying, "Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Azura asked bluntly. "I simply told you what you wanted to hear. There's no need to thank me."

"I…we understand how hard it can be for you to support someone that  _isn't_  Lord Corrin," Selena said, "but we understand what you're trying to say and your reasoning behind it."

"Aye," Odin added. "Your words do nothing except strengthen my heart and soul. And for that…"

"Thank you," the three retainers said again in unison, twisting their hands over their chest again in that odd salute and bowing.

Azura wasn't sure on what to do except to stand there awkwardly as Laslow stooped down to pick up the lantern he had set on the ground.

"We should head back," he said. "We've been gone for far too long and the others are probably getting worried by now."

"What about the spoon?" Selena asked. "You said you were going to go wash it. Wouldn't it be suspicious if you showed back up with the spoon still dirty?"

"Here, let me take care of that," Azura said, stepping forward to take the ladle. As she looked at the wooden utensil in her hand, she reached deep within herself to sing the song that had caused her so much relief, pain, comfort, and fear.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

_Destined to—"_

"Stop!" Laslow suddenly shouted, waving his hands around to catch her attention. "What are you doing? Don't you know singing that song hurts you?"

"Of course I do," she replied frostily. "It's not like I've been burdened with it for the vast majority of my life."

"Then why are you singing it then?" Selena asked, ignoring Azura's sarcasm. "We don't need you to turn part of your body into water just so we can wash a spoon. Odin and I can always just portal there and back."

 _Portal?_ Azura thought to herself.  _So that's how they found me and Laslow so quickly…_

"It's fine," she said. "The reason my song hurt me before in the past was because I was literally trying to free someone from the possession of a  _god_. That would require quite a bit more power than to wash a spoon, wouldn't you say?"

Piqued, Laslow and Selena stepped back while Odin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, our fair maiden  _does_  have a point," he said. "The amount of energy needed to perform magic is directly proportional to the complexity and magnitude of the spell."

"Since when did you start using big words like 'proportional' and 'magnitude?'" Selena muttered.

Odin ignored her. "And since our beloved songstress is many levels stronger than what would be expected of a woman at her current age and size—"

Azura rested a hand on her stomach. "Why do I feel like I've just been insulted?" Azura muttered quietly to herself.

"—theoretically speaking, it  _should_  require less energy to summon forth a water spout to wash our ladle here," Odin continued. " _Theoretically,_  however. The art of magic is a fickle and convoluted beast that can turn on it's master at any moment. Those who dabble in such dark arts must be prepared for making the ultimate sacrifice if something goes wrong."

Laslow rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to make everything sound so dramatic and dark, Odin? It's not like she's  _trying_ to kill herself over a spoon."

"Maybe not, but it's not something I'm willing to risk," Selena argued. "I'd rather walk the rest of the way than to have to apologize to Lord Corrin about how his confidant killed herself trying to wash a spoon."

"I'll be fine," Azura insisted as she prepared to sing again. "I've had this curse bestowed upon me for a good seventeen or so years by this point. I know my limit. Mostly."

Selena's eyes could've popped out of her sockets based on her extreme reaction was when she darted her face forward, her hands at her hips and an accusatory expression on her face. " _Mostly?"_

"W-well, it's not like the limit to your personal vitality is listed as a bar or life in front of you, is it?" Azura replied, put-off by Selena's bird-like glare.

Laslow rested a hand on Selena's shoulders and pulled her back. "Just relax, will you Selena? If anything goes wrong, I can cut that pendant, chain and all, off her pretty little neck, and if I'm lucky, possibly a little bit more—"

"Don't even think about," Selena snapped. "You know she's as good as engaged at this point, right?"

Azura turned away as a furious blush colored her cheeks. The sudden flow of emotions helped her steel herself, allowing her to pour her mind and soul into her song. She barely needed to sing more than a few lines before a stream of water started to flow around her, materializing out of her pendant and the cracks in the ground. It had always intrigued Azura how the sapphire-like gem imbedded in the center of the gold could hold so much water, but after Corrin told her about Anankos, she deducted that the stone was most likely made of the same material as Anankos' dragonstone, who being affined with water, would understandably result in her great control over water over…well, anything.

The three retainers stepped back and looked around in amazement at the mini-vortex of water swirling around Azura.

The moment she drew enough water, Azura took the spoon from a speechless Odin's hand and ran the entirety of it through a nearby tendril of water. The dirt, food, and grime easily came off, and once she was satisfied that it was properly cleaned, she let the power in her fade away.

Selena cursed and jumped back as the water splashed onto her boots while Odin and Laslow looked at her in amazement. "Are…are you sure you're feeling alright?" Laslow asked, hands already reaching out to catch her in case she fell.

In truth, Azura was also expecting herself to sway, or at least have her knees buckle, but to her surprise, nothing happened. "I'm fine," she replied. "We should head back now. The others are waiting for us and probably organizing a search party by now."

"Aye," Odin agreed. "I shall create a portal leading back to the campsite as to disguise my noble partner's and I's actions, while the two of you shall return back to the campsite on foot, saying you got distracted which is why you returned so late."

"Ah, just let me do the talking," Laslow said, pushing Selena and Odin through the portal. As Azura watched as the two retainers tumbled heads-over-heels through the portal, Laslow turned around and winked. "Trust me, milady. A good lover would  _never_  let himself get caught in a lie."

Azura's lips thinned as she nodded. "If you say so..."

* * *

"What took you so long?" Takumi asked, waving his hands over his head as Azura and Laslow emerged out of the darkness. "We were about to send a search party out to find you two!"

"Ah, no need to fret," Laslow said, winking. "We've accomplished our task—" He whipped out the ladle so clean it sparkled—" _and_  we found a lil' something that might catch Lord Leo's eye."

"What'd you find?" Hinata asked, the youth jumping out of his seat to walk over to Laslow. "Where is it?"

Azura's lips thinned as Laslow blanched. Evidently, the self-proclaimed "lover" just dug himself a hole.

The gray-haired retainer chuckled nervously as he tried to stammer out another fib. "W-well, you see, it's a thing only Lord Leo would be interested in, so—"

"Don't want it," Leo said, eyes snapping up from behind his book, causing Azura and Laslow to surreptitiously breathe a sigh of relief. "As much as I love finding historical artifacts, the only historical artifact I'm interested in right now is a map telling us which fort is holding slaves."

"Don't we have Lilith for that?" Hinata asked. "Surely, she knows her way around pretty well, right?"

"Speaking of Lilith, where is she?" Silas asked, looking around. "I thought I saw her going into Azura and Selena's tent."

"W-wait, didn't Selena just…head into her tent?" Oboro asked.

Everyone looked at each other as they slowly connected the dots. Just as Kaze was about to open his lips to suggest someone go tell Selena about the dragon hiding in her tent, a bloodcurdling scream echoed around the campsite as Lilith flew fearfully out of Selena and Azura's tent and bolted straight towards Azura, hiding behind her much like a child would behind their mother.

Azura looked down in surprise as Lilith tucked herself into her arms as Selena stormed out of her tent, her red hair undone and clutching an oversized coat to her chest for modesty as she screamed, "And you better stay out!"

Everyone glanced each other before bursting out into laughter. Even Leo looked up from his book in curiosity before returning his attention back to it. Azura smiled gently as Lilith looked up at her, shooting her an absolutely adorable puppy-eyed gaze that made Azura want to hug the little dragon as hard as she could and squeeze her little cheeks.

"Please don't let her kick me out," Lilith begged. "It's cold out here, and it's much warmer in your tent."

Azura sighed as she rubbed Lilith's head. "I'll talk to her…"

"Alright everyone, we should probably get some sleep," Silas suggested as he and Takumi shouldered their weapons, the two men being the first to take watch. "Laslow, Oboro, you two are up next in a few hours. Don't get into any funny business, or else I swear I'll tell Peri about you two."

Laslow smiled but shuddered inwardly as he headed into his tent. "Oh, are you trying to keep me up at night, or do you want me to actually sleep tonight?"

Silas leaned in to jab Laslow in the chest with a finger. "No. Funny. Business."

Laslow's smile, if possible, grew even wider as he raised his hands in a mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

"You'd better," Oboro snapped as she glared at the two men. "Otherwise, I'll cut them off myself.  _Then_  I'll tell Peri about your infidelity."

Laslow blanched. "Y-yeah, that's pretty funny, Oboro. You're joking, right?"

Oboro said nothing but continued to stare flatly at Laslow as she raised an eyebrow. "Try me," she said before disappearing into her tent.

"Ah hell," Laslow muttered as Silas released him.

"Well, at least I can rest knowing that I don't have to give testimony in a sexual harassment charge," Silas joked as he dusted his hands off. "Sleep tight, Laslow."

Azura simply stared with bemusement as Laslow hunched his shoulders over and trudged back to her tent before doing the same herself. As she was about to open the flap, she swore she heard a choked sob coming from inside.

"Selena?" she called. "Selena, are you alright?"

Nothing.

"Selena, I'm coming in now, alright?"

"Just  _give me a second!"_  Selena screeched back at her.

Shocked, Azura stumbled backwards as Selena stormed out of her tent, her eyes red. "What do you want?" she demanded. "Don't you know I'm trying to sleep here?"

"Were…were you crying?" Azura asked, cringing inwardly at her straightforwardness.

"N-no!" Selena shot back. "Of course I'm not!"

"But your eyes…"

"They're red only because you woke me up!" Selena raged. "Now, what do you want?"

"Uh, we're supposed to be tenting together?"

Selena's mouth hung open, undoubtedly in preparation to utter a snarky comment before she shook her head and closed it. "Well, jeez! Couldn't you have said that the  _first_  time I asked you? Why can't you knock softer?"

"Knock?"

Selena scrunched her face up as she brought her hands to the sides of her head as she uttered a frustrated groan. "Just get in! You're letting the heat out!"

"Uh, one thing, before I come in," Azura said hesitatingly.

Selena glared at her with a venom reserved only for Odin and Laslow as Azura held Lilith out in front of her. The little dragon squirmed around in her hands, clearly uncomfortable at being forced into front of Selena.

"I-I'm sorry for…for intruding in on your privacy!" she squeaked.

Selena blinked before turning around and disappearing into the shadows. "Apology accepted."

Azura and Lilith blinked. "Wait, really?" they both said at the same time.

"Did I stutter?" Selena replied. "It's fucking  _freezing_ out there! I'm not  _that_  heartless."

"Is it?" Lilith asked before Azura gave her a tight squeeze. "I mean o-of course it is! It is absolutely frigid out here!" And then in a smaller voice, she asked, "Is it alright if I remain in your tent then?"

"So long as you don't crawl into my sleeping bag," Selena drawled. "If I wake up before my shift and find you in my sleeping bag, not even your father can save you, even if he could."

Azura grunted as she felt Lilith grow heavy in her arms. "You…you know who my father is?"

A single eye peeked out from between the tent flaps. "Of course I do. Both of you tried to kill me, Laslow and Odin, but that's alright. Water under the bridge. Now get in before I change my mind about sleeping with a former enemy."

Lilith glanced nervously at Azura as the woman released her. "L-Lady Azura, please, you have to understand! It's—"

"It's alright," Azura said tiredly as she stepped inside. "I know."

"Know what?"

"Everything," she said. "You, Anankos, Corrin, your relationship. I know everything."

Lilith's eyes grew as big as saucers as she tried to stammer out an excuse. "B-but w-wait! It's not—"

"I know," Azura said as she changed into her nightclothes. "I know what you did, and the regret you have because of them. But I've seen how you are with Corrin, and I can confidently say that besides the rest of my siblings, there's nobody else I would trust more when it came to Corrin's wellbeing."

"So…you don't hate me?" Lilith asked nervously as she continued to bob outside.

"Of course not," Azura replied. "I know what you've been through, so how could I hate anyone as sweet or helpful as you?"

Lilith was about to reply before Selena's voice cut between them like a whip. "Are you two done yet, or should I schedule a therapy session for the two of you? Get your ass in here, Lilith, and close the tent door while you're at it!"

"Uh, o-of course!" Lilith stammered as she hastily floated in. Azura reached over her to close the tent flap before settling in in her sleep bag. She closed her eyes only to open them again when she did not feel Lilith's presence on her chest, like she had been expecting.

"Lilith?" she whispered. Next to her, Selena had already fallen asleep, judging from the heavy breathing coming from her side.

A pair of golden eyes appeared in the dark as Lilith looked down at her. "Yes?" she whispered.

Azura gestured to her side, forgetting for a moment that they were in the pitch darkness and that Lilith probably couldn't see her movements, but then again, being a dragon could come with natural night vision.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked.

"Of course I will," Lilith replied. "I…I just sort of sleep like this, floating."

"I thought you'd at least want to sleep between us, where it's warmer."

Lilith's eyes half-closed. "Well, that  _would_  be nice, except…"

"Except what?"

"Nothing." The golden eyes closed fully, enshrouding Azura in darkness once again. "Good night, Lady Azura."

Azura frowned. Something about Lilith's tone sounded like…regret? Hesitation? "Are you sure?" she asked again.

"Yes."

Miffed at Lilith's sudden distance, Azura laid back down and drew her blanket around herself. Her arms automatically reached outward to stroke the hair of someone she knew wasn't there, but slowly, ever so slowly, her eyes closed and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Azura's eyes shot open as she heard a sob coming from Selena. She sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning.

"Selena?" she called. "What's wrong?"

Azura blearily opened her eyes to see Selena drawing her legs up to her chest, tears streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth. As Selena turned to look at her, a hiccuped sob escape from her.

"N-nothing," she said, returning her gaze forward. "Nothing's wrong."

Azura glanced upward to see Lilith floating peacefully above them, still asleep. Though she was unsure of how to continue, Azura gently and hesitatingly rested a hand on Selena's bare shoulder.

To her surprise, Selena's tears came even harder than before she tightly clutched Azura to her. Azura rose her eyebrows at the snarky redhead's sudden change in disposition before her gaze fell on a portrait of baby Caeldori and Subaki together, riding together on his Pegasus through the sky.

Selena always had a talent for sketching, and even for a hastily drawn sketch, it looked almost lifelike, which caused the pit in Azura's stomach to deepen.

_Oh._

Subaki had been one the members of Corrin's personal guard to die fighting Anankos, but not only did he die serving as Sakura's retainer, he died serving as Selena's husband, as Caeldori's father. Azura pursed her lips as she hugged Selena back.

The redhead's sobs grew louder as they continued hugging each other into the dead of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

"You look like you've been up late," Laslow remarked as Selena and Azura pushed themselves out of their tent.

Selena said nothing as she prepared the take down the tent she and Azura shared. Laslow rose an eyebrow, surprised by the glassy gaze Selena gave the word as she quickly broke down the tent poles, pulling up stakes, and folding the canvas into a neat little bag; all habits that he, Selena, and Odin were well-versed in.

Azura groggily opened her eyes when she felt Odin touch her arm. "What's wrong with her?" Odin asked. "Normally, she would be yelling at us, but it is unlike our companion to look so…defeated."

"Subaki," she said simply. That was all it took.

Odin's eyes widened, and he nodded once in understanding before he went over to where Laslow was trying to cheer Selena up. He whispered something in his ear, and Laslow frowned. He said something to Odin, what, Azura could not tell. His lips moved too fast and the duo too far away for her to accurately guess what they were saying, but she could tell that whatever the two men said to her afterwards, it improved her mood, judging by the tired smile she gave them as she nodded.

Shrugging, Azura made her way over to where the soup Laslow made from last night was stored. Lilith was already up, courtesy of her training as Corrin's attendant, and as she saw Azura sleepily pouring herself a bowl of cold soup, she floated down to her eye level.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning," she replied, a yawn cutting her off. Lilith said nothing but remained floating beside her, her tail constantly wrapping and unwrapping itself around the crystal orb she carried in her paws: her version of fidgeting nervously.

Azura looked up, brushing a strand of hair out of her face when she realized that Lilith remained silent. "Is…there anything wrong?"

Lilith remained silent but nodded.

"Is...there anything I can do to help?" Azura asked. Then, trying to ease Lilith, she joked, "I mean, it seems like I'm the most popular therapist around here, since Laslow, Odin, Selena, and you keep coming to me for emotional support."

Her banter paid off, for Lilith sighed. "It…it has to do with what you said to me last night, about what you know about me."

Azura rose an eyebrow. "Hm? Oh, you mean what I told you about how I knew about your relationship to Anankos and Corrin."

Lilith nodded again. "Please, Lady Azura, you have to understand, Anankos always viewed me as nothing more than a pawn! I was created for the sole purpose of serving him, and when he ordered me to kill his other self and Laslow, Odin, and Selena, or Inigo, Owain, and Severa as they were called at the time, he…he said that…that…"

"That he loved you?" Azura guessed.

Lilith nodded sorrowfully. "Y-yes," she gasped, her voice sounding thicker than usual. "I…I've never had someone say that to me before, so when the other Anankos told me to kill him…I…I couldn't. I just couldn't!"

"I believe you," Azura said. "Odin, Selena, and Laslow filled me in last night. They told me about how Corrin was your biological brother—that out of all of his siblings,  _you_  were the true sibling—and how you were Anankos' servant."

Lilith bowed her head shamefully. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've done…so many things, so many terrible things, under Anankos' name, so I don't know how you could—"

"And yet, despite all that, I forgive you," Azura interrupted.

The little dragon looked up in surprise. "W-what? You forgive me? How could you? I was the one in charge of the slaves! Your people! All of their suffering were at my hands! How could you just forgive me on the spot like that?"

"Because you're Corrin's sister," Azura said simply. "And also because I know you didn't want to do those things."

"But I did!" Lilith said desperately. "The reason I served Anankos at all when I was created was because I  _wanted_  to!"

"Then why couldn't you kill Anankos, the good one, then?" Azura asked. "Surely, if you  _wanted_  to carry out Anankos' will, you would've killed the good Anankos, right? So why didn't you?"

"Because…because he was willing to let me kill him just so I wouldn't be punished," Lilith finally admitted, after a moment of silence. "He'd only just learned of my existence less than an hour ago, and during that time, all I did was try to kill him and his friends, yet he  _still_  took the blow meant for me when the other Anankos tried to kill me. And…and that's what drove me to renounce Anankos' name and to serve Lord Corrin."

"And that's why I forgive you," Azura said quietly. "I know that at the time, deep down, you didn't want to hurt my people, and you only did it to save yourself, and while that's something most people would do,  _most people_  would try to run, to escape, to leave their friends and family behind.  _You_  didn't. You stayed behind, you chose to burden yourself by helping Lord Corrin.  _That's_  why I forgive you. Not just because you're Corrin's family, not just because I know that secretly, you didn't want to hurt the slaves, but also because you chose to fight back against Anankos. And coincidentally enough, that's also why I fell in love with Corrin. He wanted to help me, to fight back against Anankos, and you did the exact same thing as him. That's why I decided to forgive you so quickly. And as far as I'm concerned, I trust you."

Lilith's breath hitched.

"There were so many times you could've destroyed us, so many times you could've assassinated Corrin in his childhood, but you didn't. You—"

"I didn't try to hurt him because I knew Anankos would hunt me down if I did," Lilith muttered. "I only served Lord Corrin out of fear."

"That's not true," Azura said. "You said it yourself last night! You served Lord Corrin because you felt loved by him! He took care of you when you were hurt, and you being the gentle soul you are, you decided to devote your life to him out of gratefulness, not fear! I trust you as much as I trust Corrin, maybe even a little bit more, since I know what living a life full of fear can be like, but please, Lilith. Even as you beg me to understand you, I'm begging you to understand why I forgive you and that I hold no ill will against you!"

Lilith was silent for several counts before finally responding. "Lady…Lady Azura?"

"Yes?"

"Can…can you please forgive my breach of protocol for a moment?"

"Your breach of what?"

Without warning, Lilith suddenly darted forward and buried her head in Azura's chest. Azura's arm came up in surprise to rest on Lilith's back before pulling her into a heartfelt hug. She swore she felt her dress dampen and a choked sob escaping from Lilith, which should be impossible for a dragon, due to their differing anatomy from that of a human's, but when the little dragon pulled back, there was a large toothy grin plastered across her face.

"Thank you," Lilith said. "Thank you for telling me what I needed to hear."

"Of course," Azura replied. "I'm always willing to help Corrin and his family." She smiled what she felt was a gentle smile. She didn't smile very often, but for once, she cared less about how others perceived her grin and more on the sense of completion and satisfaction within herself.

"Hey…uh, you two done yet?" Leo's voice said from behind them. "You've been talking and hugging for the last three minutes. Would you like to get a move on so I can have breakfast."

The two females turned their heads to see Leo tapping his foot impatiently behind them. "Well?" he asked. "I know you two have a lot to talk about, but could you talk about it somewhere else?"

"Did…did you hear our entire conversation, Lord Leo?" Lilith asked, fear evident in her voice.

"Of course I did," Leo said, but without the usual snarkiness or sarcasm behind him. "And…and I just have to say, Lilith, everything Azura said about why she forgave you…it goes doubly so for me. Except the part about falling in love with Corrin, for obvious reasons."

Azura turned on Leo. "Leo, you can't—"

"Upupup!" Leo interrupted, raising a finger. "My lips are sealed, prince's honor. You'll see no change in my behavior or attitude towards you, but…you have my condolences and understanding."

"T-thank you, Lord Leo," Lilith said gratefully as Azura breathed a sigh of relief. Coming from Leo, a word of comfort was more than enough.

"No need," Leo said, a rare smile, full of gentleness and understanding, breaking out on his face. "I'm just doing what most people in the scientific community refer to as 'being a nice person.' Now, get out of line so I can get my breakfast."

Azura and Lilith both smiled as they stepped out of Leo's way. Around them, everybody stared as the two females sat back down where they had the previous night. Selena looked a lot better, if one could say sobbing into Laslow and Odin's shirts was an improvement from her glassy-eyed stare from before.

Takumi surreptitiously strode over to Leo, who was putting the pot lid back on over the pot, despite it already going cold. It would do little to retain the warmth, or lack thereof, but it was always a good habit to close things you just opened, according to Xander.

Leo looked up as Takumi casually rested against the makeshift table. He wasn't fooled. When it came to talking to people, Takumi was never casual.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Takumi said nonchalantly. "Was just going to ask you a question."

"Then ask it."

Takumi gestured towards Selena, Azura, and Lilith. "Is it just me, or does it feel like anytime Azura talks to someone that's  _not_  Corrin, she invariably ends up making them cry?"

Leo's gaze softened as he looked over to where Takumi was gesturing at. "She's…a very good person to talk to," he admitted. "What with her living such a…difficult life, I'm not surprised those with similar circumstances often seek her comfort."

"I suppose," Takumi said before suddenly standing up to leave. "You should probably finish up soon, Leo. Silas and Kaze wants us to pack up the tents and leave in less than thirty minutes."

Leo stopped eating in surprise. "I thought that since we were the royals, Azura, you, and I should be the ones making the decisions for once."

"Well, Corrin did make them the leaders of this mission," Takumi sighed. "And besides, with Corrin leading us for the past seven months or so, you sort of get used to falling in line and following orders. Hoshidans have  _some_  level of modesty, after all."

"I never said you didn't," Leo said, surprised. It seemed Takumi came to talk to him casually after all. What a historical moment. Mark the calendars and pop the champagne.

Takumi said nothing but merely grinned and playfully slapped Leo on the back, causing him to choke for a split second. "Guess we'll see who snaps at each other first today then, right?"

"This exercise again?" Leo asked. "I don't know why you're so obsessed with keeping track of who loses their temper first."

"Just…think of it as self-therapy," Takumi said. "Oboro suggested it, and if you have any problems with it, take it up with her. Oh, and I also suggest calling her work bad to get the deluxe package."

"'Deluxe?'"

Takumi winked, but immediately shuddered. "Oh gods, I don't think even Oboro can change my mind about acting that friendly towards Nohrians."

"'Deluxe?'" Leo asked again, ignoring Takumi's indirect jab and wink. "What do you mean?"

Takumi slapped Leo again, this time on the shoulder. "You'll see.  _You'll see."_

* * *

"Now  _that_  looks like a place where a mad god would keep his slaves."

Azura panted for breath as she drew herself up beside Silas, who was standing at the edge of a cliff. For a good half of the day ever since they broke down camp, they've been travelling through the ruins of Castle Gyges and the land around it. Lilith had decided to lead them to the largest fort, which was also coincidentally the closest to their current position.

She dubbed it as "Fort Anobaith."

According to Lilith, Fort Anobaith was one of the first buildings ever constructed by the newly created Vallites during the First War. It was meant to shelter their entire population, which only numbered in the hundreds at the time, and was seen as a symbol of strength and determination for all those sought to escape the carnage of war. Even when Castle Gyges finished construction and was christened as Valla's new capital city, Fort Anobaith held a special place in the Vallite people's heart, especially those with a military background, for their forefathers were the ones who built the entire fort from the ground up.

Of course, the name Fort Anobaith was created and christened by Anankos, and despite herself, Azura couldn't agree more with its name. Anobaith meant 'despair' in the ancient Valla dialect, and despite it once being a beacon of hope for the Vallite people, now, it was nothing more than a prison. A hell. Despair.

Azura squinted into the darkness, taking care not to lose her balance and fall over the precipice their entire party was standing on. Before them was another, much smaller island, relatively unmarked and free of the horrors of Anankos' final stand. Despite the dark, she could easily make out a fort, standing tall and strong even after a millennia of war, time, and mad gods. The fort took up most of the land on the island, so it looked as if the fort was merely floating in the air.

Before them, the land comes to an abrupt end, a hundred-foot chasm separating their island from the landmass where the fort was built on. A rickety-looking wooden bridge connected their island to that of the forts, and below them, a swath of dark purple clouds pulsed and throbbed, almost as if it were alive. Flickers of what appeared the be lightning flashed every so often, and Azura couldn't help but feel a queasy feeling in her stomach at the sight. Azura looked up as a flicker of light caught her eye.

"Did you see that?" Takumi whispered. "That light! In the fort. Did anyone else see it?"

Leo nodded grimly. "I did," he muttered. "That means that there's still someone alive in there. We'd best free them as soon as possible. It'll be a damn shame for us to stop now that we're so close, but we'd best take care. We don't want to walk into a trap."

"If it would comfort you, I could always scout out the area beforehand," Kaze offered. "Hoshidan ninjas are trained in the art of stealth and reconnaissance, so it'll be no problem for me to check out the area and report back."

"No, too risky," Leo said, rubbing his chin as he looked down at the map he held in his hands. "You're Corrin's retainer, and despite the fact that I am your superior, I'm not comfortable sending off my brother's friends on what could be a suicide mission."

"Prince Leo, I'm—"

"This place was used as a  _prison_ , Kaze," Leo continued. "That means what guards posted here are trained to keep intruders out and prisoners in, usually both at the same time. I'm sure you remember your captivity, do you not?"

Kaze grimaced as his mind flashed back to the first time he met his liege. "Of course not. Such a memory would be engrained in everyone's mind. It's not everyday you see the son of a mad king spare you your life."

Leo nodded curtly. "I didn't think so," he said. "I don't doubt your abilities as a ninja, but for this operation, I would prefer charging in as a group over sending in a single scout just so we can work our way around the enemy's weaknesses."

"Are you sure that's the best way to go about things, Leo?" Azura asked. "Kaze's got a point. We don't know anything about this fort, and any sort of information could help us. If there's a trap—"

"There won't be any traps, I'm certain," Leo said, nodding. "Normally, I wouldn't use such a risky tactic, but—correct if I'm wrong—but wouldn't it make sense for Anankos to use undead soldiers as guards?"

Azura frowned. "Yes…? What about them?"

"Remember what happened to them when Corrin put down Anankos?" Leo asked. "They all died. They all vanished for good. Why couldn't the same happen to the guards?"

"Lord Leo has a good point," Lilith said gently as she floated down from above, resting on Lord Leo's head. "Those undead soldiers were bound to Anankos' lifeforce and once he died, it's more than likely that the prison guards would've died too."

"See?" Leo said smugly, walking backwards away from Azura and Kaze and shrugging mockingly. "Trust me, when it comes to the topic of tactics, even Corrin isn't my equal."

"Yet you lost three games of chess against him," Niles said, coughing into his hand.

Leo turned and pointed menacingly towards his retainer. "Watch it, Niles," he warned. "Just because you're dead inside doesn't mean I can't make you feel pain the likes of which you've never experienced before."

It was a hollow threat, and every knew it, but despite that knowledge, everyone shuddered inwardly. Lilith was the one who separated the two men by rising from Leo's head, prompting him to look where she was floating towards the rope bridge.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"Checking on the bridge's condition," she replied. "This bridge was old even when Fort Anobaith was built, and it has a reputation for having planks breaking at the most inopportune times."

"So we'll be crossing across the literal depths of hell…on an  _artifact_ ," Leo drawled, rolling his eyes and looking nervously into the deep purple soup below them.

Takumi frowned. "Wait a second—how do you know that?" he asked. "I get if you know about Anankos, since you dragons probably have some sort of communication between you guys, but how about things like where the slaves are and the state of the  _bridge,_  for gods sake. First the existence and purpose of these slaves, then the name of their prison, and now the condition of the  _bridge_  leading to said prison? I'm not trying to call you out here…but I'm going to call you out here. If Azura didn't know about this, then how could you?"

"Takumi!" Azura objected as Lilith wilted, curling her tail nervously around the orb in her paws. "Just because I happened to know one or two things about Valla doesn't mean I know  _everything_ about my homeland!"

"I know," Takumi said simply. "But all I'm saying is that it strikes me as odd as to how Lilith can know something so trivial when  _you're_  supposed to be the one telling us this."

Both Azura and Lilith stammered for an answer as everyone glanced at them. Takumi was about to say something else before Leo suddenly interrupted him by stepping between the Hoshidan prince and the dragon.

"Listen, Takumi," he started, resting a hand on Takumi's shoulders. "Lilith's been a loyal attendant of Corrin's for most of his life. There's no way she'll be able to willingly betray us, since she knows that if she does, I'll be the one going after her, right?" He looked back toward Lilith and Azura, who upon catching the knowing look in the Nohrian prince's eye, began nodding.

"O-of course, Lord Leo," Lilith stammered.

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Since when were you the one to be all trusting of people?" he asked.

"I'm not trusting of all people," Leo countered. "Only a select few, and Lilith has the honor of ranking in the top ten of that list. She's served the Nohrian family faithfully for years now, over a decade, and you start turning on her just because she knows a little bit more than what you were expecting? That's not logically sound, Takumi. Not. Logically. Sound."

Takumi sighed and pushed himself away from Leo. "I'm not trying to accuse her of anything, alright?" he said. "It's probably just this place making me more paranoid than usual, but c'mon. It's better to be prepared for failure than it is to achieve victory without preparations, right?"

"Now, since when did you start becoming all philosophical?" Leo asked. "I never pegged you to be much for idioms and sayings, Takumi."

"I'm not," Takumi retorted. "All I'm saying is that we should be prepared for anything, and if that includes grilling Lilith about her past, then so be it."

Lilith gently floated over and bumped Takumi with her head. "I understand what you're concerned about, but please, believe me when I say that I would never betray Corrin or his family. Your safety is my number one priority right now. There's nothing fear from me."

Takumi looked up at for a moment, pondering, before finally sighing. "…Fine. I'll trust you. For now."

It was better than nothing.

* * *

They carefully begin to trickle across the bridge, one by one. The bridge was far too old for all of them to cross at once, and based on Takumi's previous experience with a similar bridge, none of them wanted to go across without Lilith floating behind them ready to snatch them up should they fall.

But even with the little dragon floating alongside her, Azura couldn't help but feel her throat choking up as she steps daintily from one plank to the other, never resting on one plank for more than a few seconds. Finally, she reaches the end, where everyone else was already waiting for her. Azura carefully hops onto solid ground, waiting for Laslow as he begins his journey across. She was the second to last one to cross the bridge, with Laslow being the last.

It was with some interest that she noticed how the normally cheerful swordsman's face blanched the instant he stepped onto the bridge. His actions slow and robotic, his face so pale as to match the shade of his hair, Laslow slowly made his way across, inch by inch, pull by pull.

In this slow manner, he continued, until he was within arm's reach of Odin and Selena, who were reaching out to him. He leaned forward to take his hand…when a loud, splintering sound echoed around them. The plank beneath Laslow's boots crumbled into dust as the retainer instinctively snatched his arm back to grab onto the rope as the bridge began to groan and sway dramatically. Everyone took a half-step forward as Laslow squeezed his eyes shut and clung onto the rope so hard, his knuckles started to turn right.

"Laslow!" Odin shouted. "Laslow! Hold on!"

"Come on! Jump!" Leo called, reaching out with his arms.

Laslow did nothing but clutched even tighter to the strand of rope between his fingers, shaking his head. His eyes were squeezed tight, and a cold sweat was starting to break out upon his forehead. Azura frowned when she saw how Laslow refused to move.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Why isn't he moving?"

"Panic attack," Selena grunted. "He's…he's never been fond of rope bridges, especially since he and Odin were almost killed on one, but—"

Whatever else she was going to say was cut off as the ropes snapped.

"Laslow!  _Move!"_ Takumi shouted.

Fast as a snake, Odin whipped out the rescue stave Elise had loaned him and began to chant in his arcane language. Azura clutched instinctively onto the back of Silas' shoulder as she watched the shrinking form of Laslow disappearing into the cloud.

As Laslow's scream faded into nothingness, a flash of light suddenly emerged and with a poof of dust, Laslow slammed into the ground behind them. Everyone jumped and turned to see Laslow on the ground, groaning in pain.

Odin and Selena were instantly by his side, the former of whom was resting a hand on Laslow's shoulder. Everyone else gathered around the three, each checking to make sure Laslow was okay.

"Laslow! Are you alright?" Silas asked. He crouched down next to Odin and gently shook him. "Laslow! Can you hear me!"

"I'm…I'm fine," Laslow coughed, wincing as he sat up. "Can't say the same thing for my tailbone though," he added, rubbing his rump.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Laslow was alright.

"What happened?" Oboro asked. "You just…sort of froze up back there."

Laslow chuckled humorlessly as he brushed his hair out of his eyes, refusing to make eye contact. "Let's just say…rope bridges and me don't mix."

Takumi crossed his arms. "Seems like you have the same problem as I do."

"No, no, it's not that rope bridges just happen to fall apart around me," Laslow said, waving away Takumi's words. "Let's…just say that after a…certain event that occurred to me in the past, I've never really trusted rope bridges."

"You didn't have a problem crossing one when we first came to Valla," Silas noted. "What's different this time?"

"Well, the first time, I…didn't  _really_  cross the bridge," Laslow said, embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head. "You see, Odin offered to cast a teleportation spell to transport me and him over to the other side, so that's how we got across."

"Does Odin have the same problem too?" Hinata asked. "Sorry if it's too personal, but—"

"Nay, I do not!" Odin protested.

"S-sorry! I-I wasn't—"

"Odin Dark fears nothing save for fear itself!" Odin proclaimed, striking a heroic pose. "How dare you accuse me of having an aversion to—ow! What was that for?"

Selena crossly slapped Odin's arm. "Quiet!" she hissed. "I don't know if you know this or not, but we're supposed to  _sneak_  our way into this prison, not barge in like we're part of a parade or something!"

"She's right," Kaze said, nodding. "It would be prudent for us if we were to continue forward." And without waiting for objections, the green-haired ninja strode forward, towards the yawning gates in front of the fort.

Silas stood up from where he was kneeling besides Laslow. Looking down at the gray-haired man, he asked, "Can you walk?"

Laslow frowned as he unsteadily got to his feet. Almost immediately, his hand pressed into his chest as it suddenly became strangely hard for him to breath.

He waved away the concerned glances Odin, Silas, Azura, and Selena gave him. "Yeah, I can."

"Are you sure?" Azura asked. "You seem to have trouble breathing."

"It'll pass," Laslow said, walking after Silas. "It always does."

Azura shared a concerned glance with Odin and Selena before following after him. Silas rose and eyebrow but said nothing as he wrenched his lance out of the ground where he had stuck it in. True to his words, as Laslow walked, his breath came easier, and he straightened up. He looked nothing like the man who just had a panic attack on a rope bridge.

Even without walking into the fort, Azura could tell that Fort Anobaith was similar in construction to the fort they had encountered their first time invading Valla. Like the first fort, Fort Anobaith was barely more than four walls stacked together, leaving the center courtyard exposed to the elements. Also like the first fort, there was a cathedral of sorts rising above the walls, most likely where the commander or general would do their work, separate from the other inhabitants of the building.

Unlike the first fort, however, Fort Anobaith was much,  _much_  larger. The entirety of the first fort could've fit snugly within Fort Anobaith's courtyard alone, and that wasn't even counting how large the cathedral was compared to the one her mother had commanded over.

However, over the ages, the tower had collapsed, exposing the rooms to the elements. Pieces of rubble and debris, artifacts of a civilaization long forgotten by both Hoshido and Nohr, jutted out from the infrastructure of the tower, exposing them to the open air.

In front of them was a massive wooden gate, with its iron portcullis long since torn off and cast aside. The wood looked as old as one would expect. The gate wasn't hard to open. On the contrary, Kaze and Silas barely needed to lay a finger on the massive wooden gate before it suddenly fell inward, creating a huge cloud of dust when it landed.

Everyone jumped at the resulting  _boom_. As the dust settled, Leo brought out Bryhildr and cast  _Lumos_. He leaned forward so the light could reveal more of the darkened fort, but to his concern, the rest of the fort remained just as dark and foreboding.

Kaze frowned as he knelt down next to a dusty footprint. He gently touched a finger to the boot's outline. "This was recent," he muttered. "See how it's still here despite all the dust?"

"Dust?" Takumi asked. He turned towards Lilith. "I thought you said this was where Anankos kept some of his slaves?"

"He…he did," Lilith said, a slight frown on her face. "At least, I thought he did here."

"Which means it was bound to be used recently, right?" Takumi asked. "So then why is there so much dust on the floor here?"

Before Lilith could respond, they heard a slithering scraping sound, akin to someone drawing a sword, but more ominously, an echo of a woman's scream.

Azura did not think; she flung herself in the opposite direction, her right hand twirling her naginata in her hand before setting it in a battle-ready stance. Silas and Takumi were nearly as fast. Takumi had already rolled to the side and nocked an arrow into Fujin Yumi and was now pointing it into the darkness whereas Silas took up a defensive position next to where Kae had been kneeling. The green-haired ninja suddenly reappeared next to Azura, a trio of shurikens clutched and ready in his hand. A slight rustle sounded behind them, signaling to Azura that the rest of their party was ready.

They froze, waiting for an attack.

Azura's heart pounded and his muscles trembled as she searched the darkness for the slightest hint of motion.

"Takumi," said Leo. "Release your arrow. We'll use the light from it to see what that was."

Takumi nodded and did as Leo asked, releasing the arrow into the darkness. The corridor was lit up in varying shades of green as the arrow whistled into the darkness before it vanished.

Leo released up his pent-up breath as he closed Bryhildr. "Nothing," he sighed.

"What was that?" Hinata asked.

"Like I said, probably nothing," Leo said. "Probably a plate or shale or something that fell inside."

"Well, why would a something fall if there was nothing inside?" Takumi asked.

Silence.

It was Selena who finally spoke up. "Are we all going to ignore the fact that we heard a woman scream inside?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure a rock falling isn't going to make that sort of sound."

"I don't know…" Hinata said nervously. "I'll go wherever Lord Takumi goes, but old abandoned forts with echoes of people screaming inside? Sounds like something Lady Azura would take interest in."

"Then why not make her go in first?" Niles drawled. "It'll be like a trip to the amusement park for her."

"First off, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," said Azura. "Secondly, just because I happen to enjoy horror stories doesn't mean I'm willing to place myself in the shoes of the people who are usually murdered."

"This is a waste of time," Takumi snapped, shaking his head. "There's people still inside and we're out here debating over a sound we may or may not have heard. How about, instead of bickering out here, we  _all_  move in at once? We're all adults here,  _and_ we've faced down a dragon god bent on destroying the world, so  _why in the blazes_ are we all out here dithering like children? Are we going to save them or not?"

"Takumi,  _calm down_ ," Azura said, resting a hand on her stepbrother's shoulder. "It's  _fine_. We'll find them. We…we just need a few moments to recover from what just happened with Laslow and that sound."

Takumi bit his lips, clearly unhappy at waiting any longer, but nodded silently. Azura patted him gently on the shoulder as she nodded in approval.

Sighing and leaning against a small pile of rubble, Azura looked up when she saw Silas looking down at her. "Yes?" she asked.

Silas said nothing but rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Lady Azura…I just wanted to check in on you real quick, since, you know, Corrin ordered me and Kaze to watch over you while we're down here, but I couldn't help but feel as if we've…haven't been talking all that much."

The last part of his sentence was raised, as if he was about to ask a question.

Azura frowned and tilted her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Silas' face tightened as he leaned back against another piece of rubble, setting his lance beside himself. "Well, we didn't really talk much during the war besides me, y'know, accusing you of being a spy and—"

"Are you still hung over this?" Azura interrupted. Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said and did. "Oh—sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you like that. Please forgive—"

Silas shook his head. "Nah, you're fine. I can see why Corrin fell for you."

An odd pulsing sensation raced through Azura's chest.

"You seem like a really nice person," Silas continued, oblivious to the churning Azura felt in her body at his previous statement. "Nice, smart, caring. And since I plan on serving Corrin after the war…and since there's a pretty good chance you two'll probably marry soon, I got a feeling that Felicia and I are going to see you a lot more than we did during the war, you know?"

Azura felt that pulse run through her body again. "O-oh! T-thank you," she stammered. She fell into an awkward pause. "You're…you're pretty nice too."

Silas rose an eyebrow at her suddenly-flushed appearance, but smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, well, I guess when you consider your best friend to be your role model, you sort of pick up a few things from him, huh?"

"Your best friend?" Azura asked.

 _Now_  Silas rose an eyebrow. "Uh, Corrin? I've considered him as my best friend for nearly my entire life now. Didn't you hear about how, when I was banned from playing with Corrin as a child, I wanted to become a Knight of Nohr just so I could serve him again?"

"I…I remember you telling me something about that," Azura admitted. "Though truth be told, I…I didn't really care at the time. Sorry."

For a second, she thought she had offended him, but before he could reply, Silas looked up to see Kaze walking quietly towards them.

"I've scouted through the first floor of the tower and the center courtyard" the ninja explained. "There's no sign of life, but it may be possible that Anankos kept the slaves—"

Another scream, male this time, echoed from within the fort. Instantly, Silas and Azura were on their feet. Azura noticed that everyone else was already ready to go, and it was only her and Silas who were still unprepared.

"That definitely did not sound like a piece of rock falling," Azura noted drily.

"You don't say…" Silas muttered. Turning to address everyone else, Silas called, "Alright! We're heading in! Kaze already checked the center courtyard and first floor of the tower, which means we're responsible for checking the rest. I want two teams of four checking the tower while one team of three checks the rest of the courtyard."

"You sure that's smart?" Hinata asked. "I mean, wouldn't it make more sense for us to stick together? Safety in numbers and all that stuff."

"It'll be too slow," Azura said. "Whoever was screaming, it sounded like they were in pain, which means we have the find them.  _Fast._ Splitting up may be the most optimal method."

"Prince Takumi, take your retainers and Kaze with you," Silas commanded. "Lord Leo, take—"

"No need," Leo interrupted. "Niles, Odin, Selena. The three of you, with me. We'll check out the second floor."

Takumi nodded. "Then we'll take the third floor." Turning towards Azura and Silas, he asked, "What about you two?"

"Azura, Laslow, and I are going to check the battlements and the corner towers," Silas explained. Looking up at Lilith, he said, "As for you…you can come with us, I suppose."

Lilith nodded hesitatingly, giving a concerned glance towards Laslow, who had unsheathed his sword. "Gladly."

Silas sighed as he swept his messy hair out of his face. "Alright then! You all have your directions! Go!"

* * *

"This sure is creepy," Laslow said dryly as he, Azura, Silas, and Lilith padded through the corridors within the fort walls. "Reminds me of the time me, Odin, and another friend of ours got caught out in a temple."

"What were you doing there?" Lilith asked, unable to keep her curiosity to herself.

They were currently walking below one of the wooden battlements constructed behind the wall. The wooden floorboards would've allowed defenders to stand behind the wall to shoot arrows at the enemy while also giving other defenders on the ground level an easy way to climb up and down. They did so with stairs, which unfortunately rotted away hundreds of years ago, leaving piles of splinters scattered behind the walls, forcing them to rely on Lilith.

Now, they were walking alongside the fort battlements, fifteen or so feet off the ground. As they walked, the rotten plankboards creaked and groaned dangerously, forcing them to lean on the battlements for support and taking long, careful steps. Thankfully, none of them had broken yet, sending them plunging to the ground below.

Yet.

In the corner of her eye, Azura could see the silhouettes of Leo, Niles, Odin, and Kaze ducking into the fort tower.

Azura gripped her naginata tighter in her hands as Laslow shrugged. "Really can't say," he replied. "It's supposed to be a secret, partly because of professional reasons, but…also because it's sort of embarrassing…for both parties."

"Quiet, both of you," Silas muttered, raising up his right hand which was closed in a fist. A halt.

They were standing in front of the doors leading into one of the tall towers built in the corners of the fort. Unlike the wooden gate they had gone through to enter the fort, this door looked recent, almost new.

The four of them exchanged concerned looks with each other as they each unsheathed their weapons. Laslow unsheathed his sword while Silas rested his lance on the floor next to the battlements.

Judging from the tower's appearance from outside, the tower would be far too narrow and cramped for weapons like Azura's naginata or Silas' lance. Azura reluctantly withdrew a small dagger, about half the length of her forearm out of the bodices of her dress, a result of Corrin urging her to have more protection besides one large, glorified metal stick and a pendant cursed to sap her life energy. She never liked getting up close and personal with her foes, if she ever had to fight, and even then, she preferred her naginata over something that barely extended her reach.

Silas, on the other hand, scowled as he unsheathed the stout shortsword. He never liked swords. Back at the academy, the one weapon he consistently had problems with was with shortswords. It wasn't that he couldn't use them—he could use them as well as any other knight, yes—but it never felt quite  _right_  in his hand. Time and time again, he found that he did better with lances and other longer swords than with shortswords.

Laslow twirled his sword around, fidgeting. It was with some interest that Azura noted that unlike how Xander, Ryoma, or even Corrin held their respective weapons, Laslow preferred holding his blade in a reverse grip.

The philanderer said that it was "for the looks," and Azura secretly agreed that it did make his combat more stylish and agile than others. Laslow's style of swordplay was…stylish and graceful than the others, though no nearly as fluid as Corrin's style. Corrin preferred flowing his trikes into one another, as if he were simply pouring water from one cup to another, while Laslow simply looked like he was flipping the cups all about himself before setting the mug down, the table sodden and dripping wet. Laslow preferred stringing his attacks together so quickly, by the time Azura realized what had happened, the enemy was more often than not lying dead or bleeding out on the floor before him.

"You might want to get behind us, Lady Azura," Laslow warned. "I know you want to help, but you're a dancer, not a fighter."

Azura bit back a caustic retort at being called a dancer but fell in behind Silas and Laslow. With a grunt, Laslow kicked open the door, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Quietly, the three rushed in, taking care to remain as silent as possible. Once they made sure that the room they were in was devoid of enemies, they made their way upwards, towards the uppermost room.

As expected, despite the treasure trove of dust, rotten wood, and, more ominously, skeletons, they found no signs of the slaves. They made their way back down to the room where they had entered from.

Silas frowned as he shook his head. He was about to lean against a table, but remembering the piles of splinters that had once been chairs and stools, elected to lean against the doorway.

"I don't understand," he muttered. "Lilith said this was supposed to be where the slaves were, right? Then how come we can't find them?"

"I…I swore I remember Anankos torturing here before," Lilith said quietly from where she was bobbing peacefully in the air. "Maybe there's a place we haven't checked yet?"

"Doubt it," Laslow said, sheathing his sword. "The way Silas planned for us to go through this fort, we would've covered every square inch by now. The only way the slaves could've eluded us would've been if they were buried underground."

Silas shuddered at the thought. "You don't actually think—"

"Hey, it's just an idea," Laslow said, shrugging. "Unless there's a secret door or something, I don't think there's anything underneath us."

The three of them looked up as they heard footsteps thumping towards. Niles poked his head in, and uttered a low whistle at the kicked-off door. " _Whew_. Didn't know we could trash this place. I thought you'd have more respect for the dead, Laslow."

"I do," Laslow said coldly. "More than you would know."

Niles smirked and shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just here to tell you that Odin and Lord Leo found something in the tower that you might wanna check out."

"What did he find?" Azura asked.

Niles smirk told them that he had overheard their conversation. "Oh, nothing much. Just a  _secret_   _door._ "

And just like that, the archer was gone. They heard a faint  _whump_. Niles must've jumped off the battlements and onto the ground below. Laslow shook his head in disbelief.

"I just had to open my damn mouth."

"Are you saying you don't want save the slaves?" Azura asked.

"Of course I do," Laslow replied. "It just looks like I have a habit of everything I say becoming true."

Silas rose up from where he rested and lightly slugged Laslow in the arm. "Come on, you. Quit your griping and let's get down there. The faster we get this over with, the faster you can see Peri fully recovered again."

 _That_  put a spring in the retainer's gait. "I know you're trying to cheer me up and all, but wow, you really did cheer me up!" Laslow said as he walked out.

Silas and Azura shared a confused look with each other before following Laslow out. As they exited the building, Silas stooped to pick up his lance and Azura's naginata. He tossed it to her, and she muttered a word of thanks as they made their way down to where Leo and Odin were standing next to an open trapdoor, deep in conversation.

"Who knows what sort of demons or fiends could rest within these ancient boundaries!" they heard Odin say. "I  _highly_  advise you to at least let Kaze or somebody else scout it out before you so foolhardily charge down there."

"I'm not  _going_  to charge down there," was Leo's exasperated reply. I just wanted to cast a spell to illuminate the passage before we head in."

"I never thought Odin would be much for actually doing his job and protecting Leo," Azura said somewhat absentmindedly to Silas.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah, I thought the same as you, but that was before I saw Odin tear apart an entire flank of rogue Faceless with nothing more than a dull sword and his spell tome," Silas replied. "Don't let his antics fool you, milady. Odin is a very capable mage and an even more capable swordsman. Why he never took the blade is beyond me…"

Azura's mind flashed back to when Owain, Severa, and Inigo told her of their past. "I wonder the same…" she said quietly.

"What'd you find?" Silas asked upon nearing the two men.

Leo looked up from where he was staring at the ground, contemplating. "Odin found a passageway leading down into the Earth. We've searched the entire tower and then sum, but we weren't able to find the source of those screams."

"You think that passageway Odin found leads down to the slaves?" Azura asked, her eyebrows rising.

"I do not think!" Odin proclaimed loudly. "I merely  _know_  that those slaves are down there!"

"That first part sure is true," Selena muttered under her breath.

They all turned to see Takumi, Selena, Hinata, and Oboro returning from their search.

"Did you find any trace of the slaves?" Laslow asked.

Takumi shook his head. "But we did find a little something else though…" He showed them a patch of paper with scribbles on it; it looked like a set of blueprints. "I took a look through it and apparently not only  _is_  there another floor below us, but the Vallite guard who was in charge here received an order to 'begin cleansing.'"

"' _Cleansing?'"_  Leo asked, his eyes almost popping out of his sockets. "Did you say cleansing?"

Takumi shoved the paper back into his pocket. "Yep. That only means one thing."

"Wait, I'm lost," Selena said, glaring at each and every one of them. "What does cleaning have to do with finding the slaves?"

"They're planning on killing off the slaves!" Kaze said, realization dawning on his face. "They're going to wipe them all out!"

"But that's impossible!" Azura protested. "All the undead guards died with Anankos! How could his puppets carry out his will if they all died with him?"

Lilith dove between them. "Anankos had many human servants before, both living and dead, remember? Remember how I told you how Iago was one of those who willingly served Anankos? There could be many more just like him."

"I thought you said that most of them served him out of fear!" Takumi said.

"Most refers a majority, but not all, Prince Takumi," Kaze said calmly. A line of sweat breaking out on his forehead was the only indication that he was stressed about the slaves. " _Most_  of them could've served Anankos, but  _some_  could still be willing to carry out his will, even after their master's death."

"We have to head down there," Silas said. "We can't just let them die down there!"

"For once, I'm willing to discard caution," Leo said. "We need to get down there.  _Now."_

There was no argument, no questions, no hesitation. As one, they all drew their weapons and rushed after Odin and Leo, who were ALREADY dashing towards the passageway they found.

The "passageway" itself was a rectangular hole in the wall, leading down to gods-know-where. It was only later that Azura realized that, save for a set of relatively recent footprints and a faint outline of the vacuum in the wall, it would've been almost impossible for them to have discovered it. To have Odin discover it, of all people, was equally amazing.

Azura panted for breath as they ran. Around the, the walls and ceiling changed from dirt to patterned stonework, the shoddy wooden scaffolding holding up the earth changing to dimly lit torches. Below them, the stairsteps changed from rotten wood to hard stone, and soon, they were not running in a passage way, but a fully operational, fully lit dungeon, complete with barred cells on either side. The corridor itself stretched on for what Azura guessed was close to half a mile. The ceiling was low, barely tall enough for her to plant her naginata upright.

As they ran past one of the cells, Azura stole a glance at its contents. What she saw almost made her want to cry out.

Three heads stared unseeingly back at her on the floor.

A man's.

A woman's.

A…a baby's.

Their bodies slumped against one another's, the man lying over the woman's, who clutched limply at the miniature body she once held in her arms. The sight caused Azura's heart to wrench, and judging by their increased pace around her, it was obvious the rest of the group saw similar, if not worse sights.

 _If there was anything worse than that…_ Azura thought to herself.

As they dashed through the corridor, Azura chanced another glance at the contents of each cell. Each one contained slaves, all dead, and all horribly disfigured. Azura coughed and wrinkled her nose at the smell.

At the end of the corridor, another scream rang out, shrill, pitched, and full of terror.

A child's.

Then, just as quickly, the scream cut out, along with the sound of a heavy axe striking something flesh. A choked gurgle rang out before something fell to the ground. A cloaked figure shambled out of one of the cells in front of them as another chorus of scream echoed from the cell across from the cell the figure just exited. A bloody axe hung from the figure's fingers.

"You there!" Silas shouted. "Stop!"

The figure flinched and turned towards them, surprise and uncertainty setting in.

_Good. At least we know it's somewhat human._

The figure planted its axe into the floor and pulled out something from within the folds of its cloak. Leo's eyes widened as he realized that it was an  _Thoron_ tome.

"Everyone! Get down!"

The entire chamber shook around them as a thunderous  _boom_  clapped their ears. Azura screamed in pain as she flung herself to the ground. A brilliant light shot over her, and the hair on the nape of her neck stood up. In the haze, she was dimly aware of the others reacting the same way. Thankfully, there was no smell of burnt flesh.

A flicker of movement caught her attention as Laslow rushed past their prone bodies, his body low to the ground and his blade already unsheathed and ready to bathe. Laslow charged towards the figure, who was now trying to back up, panicking.

The figure stumbled backwards, struggling to pick up the axe from where he had planted it into the ground. Azura could tell it was male, based on the deepness of his tone when he had cast the spell. He soon gave up trying to free his axe from the confines of the earth and instead reached into his cloak. He managed to pull out some sort of dagger, but before he could do much more than unsheathe it, Laslow swung his swung sword inward in a brutal horizontal slash across the ground.

The figured cried out as blood splattered the floor and ceiling. An arm fell limply to the ground, soon followed by a splash of blood, and after that, intestines. The figure clutched at the gaping hole in his mid-section as he said something to Laslow. What he said, Azura wasn't sure. Her head and ears continued to ring, but Laslow seemed like he responded, nodding curtly.

What was visible of the figure's face turned into a scowl, but his life soon ended as he collapsed onto the floor. Laslow sighed and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground as the consequences of his actions hit him. Hard.

Azura and the rest of the party slowly got to their feet as they shambled over to where Laslow was resting.

"You damned fool," Odin muttered, kneeling down to Laslow and resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. " _Why_  would you try to rush down a mage using  _Thunder_  attacks?"

"I…I thought I could beat him down before he could shoot off another one," Laslow coughed, accepted Silas' outstretched hand.

Grunting as he got to his feet, Silas allowed Laslow to lean on him for support. He opened his mouth to say something, probably something to poke fun at the gray-haired retainer, before he realized that they weren't the only ones alone in the dungeon.

"Azura? Look around us."

* * *

"How many of you were there again?"

"There…there were supposedly five hundred souls in this one," the Vallite rasped from where Silas had set him down against the wall. "Now…I don't even know how many of us are still…alive."

Suddenly, the Vallite reached out to grab Silas by the shoulder. For an emaciated man, the Vallite still had a surprising amount of strength of, and Silas struggled to keep himself from falling.

"Tell me…is my family still alive?"

"Your…your family?"

The man nodded fervently. "Yes, my wife. My daughter. They are of the Anastas, line, are they not?"

Silas gently rested his hand over the man's hand as he pried himself away. "I-I'm sorry, sir, but I—"

"P-please, just call me Basil."

"I-I'm sorry, Basil, but…but I don't ever recall hearing anyone with that name before."

"Oh…"

Crestfallen, the man's hand fell limply to the ground as he buried his face in his knees and drew his knobbly knees closer to his chest. Then, slowly, he began to cry.

Azura felt her heart bleed for the man, and she forced herself to turn away.

All of the slaves they had rescued from their cells so far had the same golden, amber-colored eyes as her, their ratty and greasy hair hanging in clumps from their heads. Once upon a time, they all would've had many colorful shades of hair, from Nohrian blonde to Hoshidan black to everything in between.

But no azure blue though. Nobody had azure blue hair anymore.

The Vallite slave's faces are thin and malnourished, and when they had tried to free them from their prisons at first, they turned a fearful and primal face towards them, shrinking away and pressing themselves into the furthest corner they could find. Azura's heart twinges with pity at what her people had become.

It was only until she showed her pendant around that they began to trust the, albeit slightly. Slowly, one-by-one, they freed them from their cells, and slowly, one-by-one, each and every one of them scampered up to Azura, asking to see her pendant and to kiss the floor between her feet, exuberant at seeing the last remaining member of the Rheos family alive and well, even if it's been nearly over a decade since they've last seen her.

"Azura?"

She turns to see Laslow and Odin limping towards her, the former leaning on the latter.

"Yes?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice from shaking.

"We…we found something that you'll want to see."

Azura followed them without hesitation. Anything to free her from the sight of her malnourished and despondent people.

They stopped by the body of the figure. Already, the smell of death and decay clung heavy to his cloak, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from wrinkling her nose and covering it with her hand.

"What about him?" she asked.

Wordlessly, Odin knelt down and threw back the figure's cloak, revealing the scarred and perpetually-scowling face of Hans.

Azura's eyes widened and she fell backwards, her hands moving unbidden to her mouth as she recalled the visage of the man who had slaughtered countless Hoshidans and Nohrians who chose to fight for Corrin. "Hans?" she whispered. "What is he doing here?"

"We don't know," Odin said grimly. "I thought I was the one smite him down, and yet, here he is. Still carrying out his addiction to torture and killing." The normally optimistic mage's face twisted into something like disgust towards the end of his sentence.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Laslow asked.

She shook her head silently, still too shocked to speak.

"It means…well, let's just say that even though we  _saw_  Hans die, it may be possible that Anankos…resurrected him, in a way."

"Re…resurrected?"

"This branch of magic is indeed one of the most complex and morally ambiguous," Odin said, frowning. "Many a scholar have debated among themselves over whether or not using magic to extend someone's personal vitality beyond their normal lifespan was possible or not, or even if it was considered morally sound. Death, after all, is a sacred and constant part of human lives."

"How…are you saying that someone  _resurrected_  Hans?" Azura asked. "Why would anyone do that?"

"That's the part we're concerned about," Laslow said. "Obviously, Anankos has  _some_  hand in this, what with his entire army being made up of Risen and all that…but for one of his undead servants to continue doing his bidding even after his death? That's…that's the part where we're unsure about."

Azura frowned and was about to open her mouth to ask another question before she heard Takumi call her name. "We'll talk about this later," she said to Odin and Laslow. "Corrin's going to want to hear this."

"All of it?" Odin asked. "Even about us?"

" _Especially_  about you three," Azura said before walking over to where Takumi was waiting.

"What do you need?" she asked once she was within earshot.

Takumi said nothing but stepped to the side to reveal a pale old man, who looked to be in his late-forties, early fifties. So emaciated and painfully skinny was he, that the man was able to wholly hide behind Takumi's slender frame without much effort, His long silver hair, now streaked with white, was parted neatly to both sides of his scalp with the ends of it tucked into a long ponytail, and his clothes were mostly handmade.

Azura noted with some interest that despite his pitiful appearance, when the man saw her, he drew himself up as far as he could and thrust his chest out. There was an air of nobility to him, and Azura couldn't help but feel intrigued as he spoke his first words to her.

"Greetings, Princess Azura," he said. His deep voice, while gravelly and torn, carried within his vocal lengths a degree of strength and dedication few men could hope to match. "My name is Otis. Otis Argyis at your service."

The old man bowed, his long greasy black hair falling to the ground over his face. "Please forgive me for being so forward. I was once your father's retainer, you see. I used to serve your family before 'King' Anankos came and murdered him." He spits the word "king" like it was poison. "When…when I heard rumors of how his wife and daughter managed to escape Valla when it fell...I…you have no idea what it means to me to see the Rheos family live on, even after The Decimation."

"The…Decimation?" Azura asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Behind her, Leo turned his head slightly as he listened to the conversation.

Otis nodded slowly, rubbing his chin. "Yes, yes…The Decimation as we called it. Anankos called it a cleansing, but I think we both know what it really was." His lips curled over his teeth and a spat a thin line of saliva onto the ground.

Almost immediately, his eyes widened and he bowed fervently. "Oh, please forgive me, my queen!" he cried. "I meant no disrespect, I swear! I was—"

"I'm not a queen," Azura said flatly, put-off by the older man's sudden change in behavior. "And you don't need to worry about disrespecting me by cursing Anankos' name. I've done the same, many times before in the past."

Otis coughed awkwardly as he straightened back out, his right hand at his hip to help alleviate some of the pain. The wonders of old age.

"Ah, my apologies, my que—"

"Milady is…fine…I guess," Azura said slowly, already feeling herself sweat as the other Vallites turned to look at them.

Hastily diverting the topic away from herself, she asked Otis, "So do you speak for those here?"

Otis nodded. "I do. Personally, not sure why, but I guess being Theo's retainer means you're automatically of a higher position than others here."

"Do…are you not comfortable with power?"

"Oh, I'm comfortable alright," Otis replied. "It's…it's always a feeling of satisfaction knowing that people trust you…yet…the question of 'what'll happen if I fail and they don't trust me anymore?' pops up more times than I would care for."

Azura pursed her lips. "I…I understand," she said. She knew that feeling, better than most.

Otis clapped his hands together and looked around, licking his lips. "You said you're not a queen yet, correct?"

Azura blinked in surprise. "…um, yes, that is correct."

"But yet you are of age, are you not?"

"I-I suppose. I'm twenty-three right now, so—"

"Which means there's most likely someone out there vying for your hand in marriage, correct?"

"Well, um, no, not really. He's not really  _vying_ , and we already p-plan to marry, b-but he hasn't proposed yet, so—"

Otis' eyebrows lift up in delight. "Oh, so you are engaged!"

Azura shrinks back, her social anxiety now forcing her to back away. "W-well yes, b-but—"

Otis takes a moment to compose himself and clear his throat before turning away from her to address the Vallites looking at them with interest. "Our princess and her prince have returned to us!" he declared, his voice joyful and hopeful. "We are free men and women now! The wyrm Anankos is dead, and with him, our fear of him! We are free! Free, I say! Free!"

As one, every single Vallite in the corridor breaks out into cheers, causing the members of the search party tending to them to lift up their heads as they looked about in confusion.

Azura's skin prickles with discomfort at the  _way_  her people look at her. They look at her like she's a savior, like she was the one who killed Anankos, when in reality, it was actually Corrin.

She felt her throat tighten at the empty space beside her, a space usually occupied by a certain half-dragon…

"Sir.  _Sir._ "

Kaze rested a stern hand on Otis' shoulder, and the older man turns towards him. "Oh! I apologize, is there something milady needs?"

Kaze glanced towards Azura, who was trying to press herself as far as she could into the shadows. "Lady Azura…is not one for such…public declarations of herself. But I know a certain prince who is."

"Oh?" Otis' voice lifted with curiosity. "And would this prince's name be?"

Kaze smiled a gentle smile as he released Otis.

"Why, I'd think he'll be as recognizable as Lady Azura here…"


	7. Chapter 7

"Knock knock."

Corrin groaned and lifted his head from his desk as Jakob's voice came from the other side of his door. "What do you want, Jakob?" the prince asked, the lack of proper sleep ever since he saw Azura and the rest of the search party off making him sound much more irritated than he was.

"Paperwork, milord," came Jakob's smooth voice.

"'Paperwork, milord' who?" Corrin groaned, his head falling back onto the massive pile of papers already piled on his desk as Jakob edged his way in, his hands full with another stack of papers.

Corrin groaned and leaned back in his chair and uttered a long, throaty noise of frustration. "More, Jakob?" he asked, almost pleading.

"Well, if it wasn't, then I wouldn't be here delivering you papers, now would it?" was Jakob's pithy reply. "As much as I pity your situation, there are many more papers I was supposed to deliver." Then, taking pity on Corrin's heartbroken expression, Jakob broke protocol to rest a supportive hand on his liege's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Jakob said. "I heard there's only two more deliveries of paperwork I need to give you today, milord. Once those are done, I'm sure you'll be able to take a well-deserved break."

Corrin groaned  _again_  as he skimmed through the pile of papers Jakob had set on his mahogany desk.

"Is there anything milord wants right now?" Jakob asked, his hands tucked professionally behind his back as his eyes skimmed around the study.

"Besides an escape from this damnable hell?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, besides an escape from this damnable hell," Jakob parroted, a dry smile breaking out on the butler's face.

His eyes finally rested on a pile of crumpled-up paper balls behind Corrin's chair. As he automatically strode towards it to sweep the pile of trash into the bin, Corrin stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"Leave it," Corrin ordered.

"Milord, I highly suggest you—"

"It's an organized mess. It helps me think."

Jakob, unaccustomed to leaving a mess behind, but straightened back up. "You never answered my question," Jakob noted. "Do you want anything? Perhaps a drink or something to eat?"

Corrin shook his head as he flipped through a packet of papers. "I'm good for now," he said. "Just see if you can bring me a cup of coffee, please."

Jakob rose an eyebrow at the numerous empty mugs scattered around the office. "More coffee?"

Corrin didn't take his eyes off the paper but showed Jakob his dragonstone. "I'm only half-human, remember? That means human things only work half as effectively on me."

Jakob grappled with himself over Corrin's logical reasoning. "I'm…that's…I don't think…of course, Lord Corrin."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Corrin to agonize alone in his study.

Corrin sighed and pushed his long white hair out of his face as he looked down at the stack of paper, reading through its contents.

Proposals for the name of New Valla's cities, questions regarding taxes and property ownerships for Nohrian and Hoshidan lords whose land were now considered part of New Valla's, borders for the new country, laws wanted by the people and laws disliked by the people. The list went on and on, and for once, Corrin's work ethic wavered.

He wanted nothing more than to see Azura, but with both her and Lilith gone in Valla, that was impossible. There was always a tiny part in his mind that wondered what would happen to everyone in the castle right now should Lilith just happen to conveniently forget about them for a few years.

He knew Lilith would never forget, but still, when he found himself drifting away from his work, he found himself asking more and more of these kinds of conceptual questions. Would they just rot away, like the original defenders had, or would they be trapped in the astral for all eternity? The original defenders, after all, were trapped here until they all starved to death, but now that the castle was being used again and was largely self-sufficient, it  _could_  be possible that they could last much longer than the original inhabitants, but how long?

Corrin sighed as he dipped his third quill that day in a nearby inkpot, pushing those kinds of thoughts out of his mind. His eyes lazily skimmed over a handwritten note from some noble in Hoshido, threatening to take action if he was forced to share land with Nohr. Corrin sighed and simply crumpled the paper up into a ball and tossed it over shoulder, into the steadily growing pile of waste in the corner of his study.

Candy wrappers, plates of half-eaten snacks, and empty pots of coffee littered the room. According to Gunter and Xander, coffee was supposed to keep you awake, with something called caffeine supposed to keep your eyes open, but Corrin never found it to be as effective as his brothers described. At least drinking something so bitter was more than enough to keep his eyes open.

He never thought being king would be so  _exhausting_. Sure, he knew that after the war, there would be a veritable wave of paperwork he'll need to deal with, especially since he's founding a new country, or rather, an old one, but this amount of work was starting to look less and less like a wave and more of a  _tsunami._  Thankfully this was just the beginning stages, the careful planning and preparations for  _becoming_  king. Ryoma and Xander both promised that the workload would lighten up significantly once New Valla actually existed in physical form and not just pen and paper, and that once this initial phase was over, he would have advisors to help.

"That would be nice," he said last night when Ryoma and Xander stopped by to pity him. "That would be nice if I actually  _had_  advisors right now."

Ryoma and Xander had both looked at each other, both struggling not to smile at their brother's pain.

He's still somewhat bitter that he was all but imprisoned here in the astral planes while Azura, Takumi, Leo, and the rest of the search party was off in Old Valla, searching for the slaves. Sure, he knew it was probably no walk in the park, but if he had a choice between sifting through what felt like an entire library's worth of paperwork or trudging through the remains of a dead land, the choice was easy.

He's also disappointed that Gunter refused to see him. Though while his technical status as a prisoner meant literally anything he said was worth nothing compared to Corrin's own statements, he still found it…difficult to go against the wishes of someone who he once thought of as a father.

Corrin sighs in relief as he flipped through the last page of the packet he was reading through. The packet, easily over twenty pages long, detailed what  _one_  Hoshidan daimyo expected to gain after the borders for New Valla was set up. Corrin rolled his eyes as he scrawled a hasty signature at the back.

_One down, only fifty more of these to go…_

Valla would receive a new name, New Valla, since Corrin was simply too tired and lazy to find a better name for the hidden kingdom. Was it original? No. Did it work? Yes, definitely. The curse on the kingdom's name had died along with Anankos, but he still needed to find suitable names for the castle city, which would become Valla's new castle.

After what felt like an hour-long argument with himself, Corrin finally decided on New Gyges. Again, was it original? No. Did it work? As long as it meant Corrin could get to the rest of his work, he didn't care.

As he had proposed in their meeting two days ago, New Valla would be situated at the southern tip of The Bottomless Canyon, where it was the most narrow. Not only was this the spot where MyCastle existed in the real world, but it was also set next to the sea and between existing trade routes between Hoshido and Nohr, making it the perfect place to profit off of trade.

Since The Bottomless Canyon was a dangerous place to traverse, most roads skirted south, right through where New Valla would be situated, which meant they would likely make a good amount of money operating as a trade hub. They also controlled the Nohr-Hoshido sea, which meant they could make even more coin off of harboring ships and ocean-related goods, though Xander remarked to Corrin that he expected a discount, since the decision effectively landlocked Nohr for good.

But even with the amount of wealth their economic activities could bring them, and even with the seemingly infinite amount of gold bars Lilith seemingly pulled out of thin air, they would still face debts numbering in at least the seven digits. And that wasn't even accounting Nestra holding them responsible for damages done to Cyrkensia, since Anankos' forces were the ones responsible for all but burning the city to the ground.

"Oh, that's so much bulls—" Corrin had complained when Xander and Ryoma ran it through him. "We didn't even do it! Why do we have to be the ones to pay for it?"

"Because a king inherits the legacy of the one before him," Xander reminded him grimly, and that shut him up  _very_  quickly. "Yes, you were the one responsible for trying to save the city, but you are also Anankos' heir, in a way, which means  _you_  have to pick up the pieces."

Corrin felt a chill run down his spine at the words "Anankos' heir." At first, he had nearly panicked, but upon realizing that besides himself, Azura was probably the only other person in the world who knew, so he slowly trained himself to react accordingly whenever someone referred to him as "Anankos' son" or "Anankos' heir."

Corrin grimaced as a particularly bad migraine wracked his head, and he dropped his quill to massage his temples as he groaned in pain. Besides all of the work mentioned above, he  _still_  had to figure out the border lines, calculate the total population gained from Hoshido and Nohr, draw up a name of potential advisors and retainers (he already had a good idea for who his retainers should be, but unfortunately, both of them were currently absent in Valla), and think of events to mend the cultural gap between the two nations. And not just that, but he  _also_  needed to find out things like potential incomes, exports, imports, food consumption,  _everything_ that also conveniently gave him some of the worst headaches he ever had before since discovering he was actually a Hoshidan prince stolen away by Nohr and that there was secretly a third kingdom devoted to bringing about the end of the world

Why couldn't his life be easier?

Corrin looked up as another knock sounded at his door.

"Come in!" he called.

To his surprise (and relief), it wasn't Jakob who stepped through the door but rather Ryoma and Xander. Corrin rose from his seat to greet his brothers. Ryoma and Xander both responded in kind, but to his concern, the bags under their eyes seemed darker and deeper compared to before.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Xander and Ryoma both looked at each before simply saying: "They're back."

* * *

Corrin all but dashed out of the castle and into the courtyard where the portal Lilith created was swirling. Already, people were milling about. Some running to fetch food, blankets, tents, cots, and whatever was needed. Others simply stood slack-jawed, looking around and staring at the sky.

It was with a twist in his gut that Corrin noticed that the ones doing nothing were horribly emaciated.

He wasted no time in locating the head of blue hair, however, and as soon as he saw it duck away towards the castle, he made his way towards it.

Azura let out a yelp as a pair of familiar, warm arms wrap themselves around her waist. She felt herself being lifted off the ground and twirled around as she tried to pry herself free before realizing who the offender was.

"Corrin!"

Corrin said nothing but squeezed her tighter against him, burying his head in her hair. Despite her initial surprise, she soon felt her adoration of him return, and she returned the favor by wrapping her own arms around him.

He set her down and proceeded to stroke the back of her head. "I missed you…" he murmured.

"I've barely been gone longer than half a week!"

"Yeah, but those days felt longer than usual," he offered lamely, pulling away.

Azura frowned at the sight of the dark bags under his eyes, and the stubble protruding out of his chin. His skin, already so pale, simply made the flaws more obvious, and she reached up to touch his jaw.

"How many hours of sleep have you been getting?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "Oh, uh, about eight or nine so far."

" _Corrin!_ "

He flinches, inadvertently releasing her.

Azura shook a finger in front of him. "Corrin, so what you've been telling me is that in the time that I was gone in Valla, which was about four days,  _max_ , you've only gotten eight hours of sleep?"

"It was probably closer to nine," he said, trying to pull her back to his chest. She resisted his advances.

For now.

"Corrin, I know you feel responsible, and that you need to finish your work, but this isn't the way to do it!" she scolded. "Even I got more sleep than you, and I slept less than an hour's walk away from the monster that slaughtered my people!"

"I'm pretty sure that says more about you than it does about me," he snapped.

Azura blinked in surprise. Corrin had never snapped at anyone before. It may be true that his sudden bad temper was brought on by sleep deprivation, yes, but still…

"Yes, I know it was irresponsible of me to take care of myself—"

"Have you even been eating?" Azura asked, pulling at his saggier-than-usual cheeks.

Corrin pulled his face away. "First off, yes, I have been. Secondly, I hope you know I tried to do all my work in one go because if  _I_ didn't finish it,  _you_  would have to be the one to pick up the pieces. And that's not something I would curse on someone even as vile as Iago or Hans."

Azura froze. "Didn't…don't you remember our conversation before I left?" she asked.

"What conversation?"

"The one where we agreed that I could become the Queen-Consort and do all the behind-the-scenes stuff while you became King-Regent?"

Corrin scowled and scratched the back of his head. "Oh yeah, huh. I guess I forgot about that bit."

Azura scowled back but playfully slapped his chest, to let him know that everything between was still okay. "Obviously."

Corrin flinched and suddenly took his arms off of Azura's frame as she heard footsteps approaching. Not a moment later, Xander turned the corner.

"Ah! Corrin! There you are! The Vallite people are—" His face turned red as he realized what he was intruding on. "Ah—am I interrupting?

"No, no," Azura said breezily. "I'm just reminding Corrin that just because his future Queen-Consort was off rescuing her people, he doesn't need to deprive himself of sleep and experience a stroke at the age of twenty just so he can finish up his work so I don't have to do it when I return."

Xander rose an eyebrow. "Forgive for the sudden subject change…but I think that was the longest you've ever spoke for."

Azura blushed. There was something about having Corrin just  _near_  her that grounded her. Gave her strength.

"Yes, well, you tend to be a bit more confident in yourself once you realize the remnants of your people are looking up at you," she said.

"Speaking of your people…" Xander turned to look at Corrin. "Corrin, your presence is needed. The people are clamoring to see and to hear you give a speech, so—"

"A speech?" Corrin interrupted. "Don't they want to rest first?"

"They're…a stubborn bunch, that's to be said," Xander said, sighing. "None of them wanted to rest and recover until they've seen you, so might as well get it over with."

Corrin sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. He massaged his eyes as he began making his way back outside. Azura followed closely behind, her hands behind her back.

"Might as well get it over with," he parroted.

Corrin squinted at the sudden change in light levels as he stepped outside, onto the raised dais leading into the great hall of the castle. Hundreds of people, Hoshidan, Nohrian, Vallites, everyone was there, stood before him, their faces upturned to look at him.

Corrin rose his hand to shade his eyes, wishing the "sun" above them wasn't so bright. He felt someone, possibly Xander or Silas, guiding him to the edge of the dais, so that he could see everyone, and everyone could see him.

After taking a moment to compose himself and clear his thoughts Corrin spread his arms apart as he began his speech: "Greetings, everybody. My name is Prince Corrin of the houses of Aurelius and Minamoto. For those of us who have recently been freed from Anankos' tyranny, welcome to the astral plane. You're all safe now…"

* * *

Corrin sighed as Silas and Kaze led him away from the sound of cheers towards his study, Azura following close behind. Despite their evident exhaustion, when he asked to rest, the two men stubbornly shook their heads.

"We are bound to serve and protect you, milord," Kaze said. "Not only that, but considering the situation in how we found the slaves in the first place, I would reckon a few precautions placed around you and Lady Azura would not be entirely amiss."

Corrin frowned at Kaze's words. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Silas sucked on his lips. "Perhaps…it would be better if we were to discuss in your study…"

Fifteen minutes later, Azura and the rest of their siblings (sans Elise and Sakura, who were busy healing the wounded Vallites and caring for them by using Dragon Veins) along with their respective retainers were crowded in Corrin's study, around his deck. Corrin's brow furrowed in displeasure at watching so many people crowd into such a (relatively) tiny room, and he couldn't help but release a tired sigh when he saw Lilith also wanted to join in, albeit floating outside the study balcony.

Ryoma, Xander, Azura, and Corrin were all standing, or in the case of Corrin, sitting, around Corrin's mahogany desk, each one with a different expression of displeasure on their face. Ryoma frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. Xander's forehead crinkled now looked even more like a chasm than before as he rubbed his chin, trying to digest Silas and Kaze's report. Azura remained as impassive as ever, but judging by how tightly she held Corrin's hand, he could tell she was on edge just as much as everyone else in the room.

Corrin frowned deeply as he stared into steam rising out of his freshly brewed coffee, courtesy of Jakob. "So what you're saying is that…Anankos somehow resurrected Hans?" he says.

Kaze nodded stiffly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Yes."

"And you think…there's a possibility that Anankos could've brought back more of his servants from beyond the grave in order for them to continue his bidding?"

"Yes."

Corrin sighed and shook his head. He rubbed his eyes, his exhaustion from before setting in even more deeply than before.

"And one of those biddings was to finish what he started almost more than a decade ago: the extermination of the Vallites?"

This time, it was Silas who answered. "That's…I'm not certain on that, but I believe so," he said swallowing. "Milord, if I may, I suggest you send more forces down into Valla to free them. Lilith said that Anankos took advantage of the existing forts and smaller castles to imprison the Vallites. We have to help them."

"And I agree," Corrin said, twirling his quill between his fingers absentmindedly. "Unfortunately…as much as I hate being unable to do anything—and  _all_  of you know that by now—we…we can't just send another party down into Valla."

Azura frowned. "Why not?" she asked.

Corrin groaned and drew his hand over his face, hating himself for saying what he was about to say. "We just don't have enough time, men, or resources," he said slowly. "Most of the men are still recovering, and maybe in about a week, we could do it, but now?"

Corrin shakes his head. "And besides, the amount of people we send into Valla is only limited by how much energy Lilith—" he gestures towards her— "is willing to spend. You may not be able to notice just by looking at her, but she's currently working around the clock right now. Even when she was done in Valla with you guys, she was still working to make sure everything flowed smoothly down here in the astral planes. She's already told me that creating a portal to Valla is exhausting enough already, but multiple groups at the same time and in the same day? I…that's stretching it, even for her."

"Perhaps," Lilith mused, thinking. Everyone turned to look at the floating dragon bobbing pleasantly outside..

"Corrin, do you remember all the letters you wrote to the families who've lost loved ones during this war?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. How could he? All of them laid down their lives for something they would never see, and he could clearly remember each and every name. Especially those who served in his personal guard.

"Well, do you remember what you did with them?"

Corrin frowned. "I…you told me that I should pile them in your shrine," he said. "Why?"

Lilith smiled tiredly, her eyes drooping before snapping back up. "Well, before I departed, I…I may have beseeched Moro to help me with my…other duties. Not only have I delivered each and every letter to their respective recipients, I've also taken the liberty to do the same of Lord Xander and Lord Ryoma's own statements as well."

Xander's eyebrows could've jumped off his face. "You did  _what?"_  he asked in amazement. "Is that why I couldn't find them this morning?"

Lilith bowed her head. "Yes," she replied. "I'm sorry for not telling anyone before hand, but at the time…you seemed like you had other things on your plate."

"The statements you sent out…those were the ones ordering the armies to stand down, right?" Ryoma asked. "They also ordered the closest battlegroups to convene here, at The Bottomless Canyon."

Lilith bowed her head again. "Yes. I even took the liberty of proofreading them for you, though there may be a few mistakes here and there that I may have missed."

Everyone stared in amazement at Lilith.

Finally, Takumi broke the silence by saying, " _Wow._  I…I didn't think you were doing that while we were down there. Was that why sometimes you just randomly vanish or go off by yourself?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. Please forgive me for not telling you, Prince Takumi, but I was afraid at the time that you wouldn't believe me—"

"What makes you think I do now?" Takumi asked. He stumbled backward until his hands found an armchair next to her, and he sank down into it. "That's…this…that's amazing, Lilith! I'm sorry I ever doubted you or implied you were a traitor."

"Apology accepted," she said simply, gently nudging Takumi's hair with her tail.

"He  _what?"_  Corrin growled.

Azura squeezed his hand. "Water under the bridge, love. Water under the bridge."

Corrin flashed red as he looked up at her. "'Love?'" he repeated. "Did you just call me 'love?'"

Now it was Azura's turn to blush. "W-well, if you don't like it, I could—"

"Of course I like it!" Corrin said, taking one of her hands in both of his. "It's…it's just that…it's just that it makes us sound old or something."

Azura smiled. "Yes, well, maybe that's why couples do it."

" _Ahem."_

Corrin and Azura both flushed again as they turned towards Xander, who clearing his throat. "If you two lovebirds are done, perhaps we could discuss this 'resurrection' business and the future of the Vallites."

"O-of course," Corrin stammered, wiping his hands free of sweat on his pant legs while Azura hid her face behind her hair. "W-what about the resurrections?"

"First off, let's get something out of the way," Leo said.

"There's a difference between resurrecting someone and resurrecting one's soul," Leo explained. "What Anankos did, bringing someone back, completely devoid of most of their memories or ability to think,  _that's_ resurrecting someone. Resurrecting someone's body along with their soul, however…now  _that's_  something we know very little about."

"We?"

"People," Leo elaborated. "Humans. Sentient beings. Even dragons aren't able to fully restore someone's soul, since the soul and the mage has to have the same opinions on…well, basically everything."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked. "And how do you know so much about this?"

"First off, I'm not going to answer that second question," Leo said, raising a finger. "Mage secrets. Secondly…well, it'll be better if I use an example. Picture this in your mind: you have a mage, the one responsible for casting the resurrection spell, and a soldier, the one the spell is being cast on. The mage wants to bring back the soldier so he can finish the war, and the soldier also wants to come back to finish the war. In this case, it'll be much easier—relatively, of course—for the spell to successfully bring back the soldier. Both parties have the exact same reasons why they want to come back, which makes having the magic flow through  _infinitely_ easier. On the  _other_  hand…if either one in the example has even the slightest of differing opinion, then the spell just flat-out won't work. If the soldier doesn't want to come back, or if the mage wants to bring back the soldier for something else the soldier doesn't agree with, no dice. The spell fails, the mage dies from the effort of channeling all of their energy into the void, and the soldier remains dead.  _That's_  why this kind of spell is so dangerous and difficult, and that's probably why instead of resurrecting people with their souls, Anankos preferred simply raising them again as nothing more than a shell of who they were in life."

"'Probably?'" Takumi asked.

Leo shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, Anankos is a mad god, was he not? It may be possible that in his madness, he somehow found the secret to resurrecting someone with their body and soul both fully cooperative but found them too hard to control so he just preferred using them as puppets. Maybe he resurrected them as puppets because he simply didn't know the difference between living and non-living. Maybe it's another reason, or both of the reasons I just stated. Hell, maybe it's a completely different reason,  _we don't know._  He's dead, that's good, amen."

"But what would Hans and Anankos agree on?" Camilla asked. "I never saw Hans as being particularly pious, and despite his wicked nature, I don't think he's one to murder innocent people in droves like what Silas and Kaze described as."

Xander cocked an eyebrow. "Really, Camilla? This is Hans we're talking about here. He  _thrives_  on those kinds of actions."

"Correction: I don't think he's one to remain interested in killing defense innocents," Camilla corrects. "I know I'm not, but that's besides the point. The point is…if what Leo said about resurrecting someone's soul…what did Anankos and Hans agree on?"

"Wait a second," Takumi interrupted. "How do we know that Hans wasn't just a puppet?"

"Because Anankos is  _dead_ , Takumi," Corrin reminded. "I know you can't use magic, but you remember one of the fundamental laws about magic, do you not?"

"'All sources of magic require a reservoir of energy," Takumi chants. "Yes, what about it?"

"Anankos is dead," Azura repeated. "Anankos is dead, and if those puppets were bound to his life force, how could they—I don't know the word for it—still be active?"

Takumi's gaze dropped to the floor. "Oh yeah, huh. I guess that makes sense."

"If I may interject, Prince Takumi," Silas piped up, "do you remember how Hans reacted when he first saw us?"

"He panicked," Takumi recalled. "Well—he didn't really panic but I could tell that we caught him off-guard."

"Exactly." Leo pointed a finger at Takumi as he leaned forward on Corrin's desk, spreading his hands apart and ignoring Corrin's cry of dismay when he tipped over a small stack of papers.

"He  _reacted_. Normally, a body resurrected without a soul would've just sat there, taken in the sight, and take action. But  _no._  Hans reacted in surprise, considered fighting or running away, chose to fight, and panicked when he saw Laslow rush him down. Plus, he talked with Laslow afterwards for a few seconds before he died, which is even more evidence in my court, since rare are bodies without a soul able to make any conscious effort to make noise."

"Unless the one controlling their body can also control their behavior," Azura said quietly to herself, thinking back to how she met Darius' body back in Valla. She shuddered at the memory of watching her former bodyguard's head snap a hundred-eighty degrees in the wrong direction and those…horrible, horrible black eyes that replaced his emerald-green eyes.

Leo nodded. "That too, but that's not really that difficult. Simply resurrecting someone's body and making them say what you want is the magical equivalent of taking a knife and whittling a piece of wood until it makes something recognizable. Magic is just an extension of the body, after all."

"You still haven't answered my question," Camilla said. "What do Hans and Anankos both want? Why else would Anankos bring back Hans? He's a killer! He's the type of person to kill a newborn child and their mother just because he's bored! What does Anankos even see in him?"

Corrin thoughtfully tapped his desk with a finger, drawing everyone's attention to him. "You say he's the type of person to kill indiscriminately, with no questions asked, right, Camilla?"

Camilla nodded fervently. "Yes."

"Well…what if Anankos brought him back  _just_  so he could kill the slaves?" Corrin wondered. "I mean, Anankos is supposed to hate all of humanity, right? And Hans is a remorseless killer. Why wouldn't they agree together on killing more humans, especially those who can't fight back?"

"Coming back from the dead just to kill more innocents?" Takumi asked, whistling. "That's…that's pretty extreme, even for a Nohrian. You sure you're not exaggerating your stories of this guy?"

Xander's face twisted in disdain. "I only wish they were stories."

Leaning forward, Xander rested his hand on Corrin's desk and stared deeply into his eyes. "So what about the Vallites then? If Anankos brought  _Hans_  back, of all people, there's no telling who else he could've brought back, and as much as I hate to admit it…there's people out there who died who were even worse than Hans in life."

"It's not a question of 'if,' brother," Camilla said, "but rather 'who.' We know Anankos was mad, and in his final moments, he must've picked a few select members to have them continue to wreak havoc on our newfound peace. Hans is one, but who else?"

"We just don't have enough data or numbers to work with," Leo said, shaking his head. "We only found one reference point between Hans and Anankos, but considering how one-sided Hans is, even then that's not a surprise."

"Maybe he resurrects people based on how much he hates me?" Corrin asked. "I don't know about you, but if I was an insane dragon god, and I was defeated by a mere human, I would hate that human even more than the rest of my subjects, right?"

"Well, in that case, that narrows the list down pretty significantly," Takumi muttered. "I'm pretty sure Hans hated, and what was the name of that retainer who served Garon?"

"Iago?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I never really met them, but the only thing they seem to have in common is that they  _hate_  you, Corrin. Like, I'm telling you, they  _hate_  your guts. If Anankos offered them a chance at revenge…well, I'm pretty sure those two would be the ones to take it."

"Thanks," Corrin deadpanned.

"Okay, well now we have something to work with," Xander said. "Basically, we can safely assume that anyone Anankos brings back from the dead is either a) criminally insane and hellbent on inflicting as much death in the world, or b) their hatred of Corrin is so great, they're willing to agree to the wishes of an insane god just for petty revenge."

"That's…quite a list then," Corrin said, counting down on his fingers. "Like, there's Hans, Iago, Garon—gods I hope they don't bring Garon back—and other people who I can't even list because if I did, we'd be here all night."

"Did you seriously remember all your enemies' names?" Takumi asked.

"It's better to keep a friend close, but an enemy closer," Corrin said cryptically.

"Well, that still doesn't answer the question of  _what_  we're going to do with the slaves still trapped in Valla," Xander said. "If what we say about those resurrected are true, then  _all_ of us are in danger. Especially those trapped, since they'll be the first ones to experience Anankos' revenge."

"Oh, that'll be easy," Lilith piped up. "Lord Leo took with him several ancient scrolls and maps showing the forts and castles where the slaves are most likely to be kept. I've already taken a look at them, and I have to say, I think I've already got most of them memorized."

"O…kay?" Takumi said slowly. "How does that help?"

"I can simply beseech the astral dragons to grant me more power and strength temporarily so I can open multiple portals at once. Even though I won't be able to accompany the soldiers, I will be able to transport them to and from Valla, safe and sound."

"Why couldn't you do that before then?" Takumi asked. "Why didn't you just whisk us straight to Fort Anobaith? We could've saved a few more slaves that way."

"Could've…" Lilith repeats sadly. "Unfortunately, at the time, I had— _ahem—_ forgotten where Fort Anobaith was, which meant I had to physically guide your group to where it was in order for us to save the slaves. Now that Lord Leo actually recovered map showing all the first where Anankos kept the slaves—"

"It's actually more of map that just showed us  _where_  the forts and prisons are, and not which ones, but's it's close enough," Leo interjected.

"—Not that we possess a map with the locations of all the forts, I can very easily create a portal to each location."

"Why couldn't you do that while in Valla?" Ryoma asked. "If you say that creating portals is so easy for you, then why is it so draining for you to travel with us then?"

Lilith floated over to Ryoma's bushy hairdo and gently rested herself on top of Ryoma's head. "Well, it's a lot more complicated than you would think," she said. "If I was to travel  _out_  of the astral plane, I would have to memorize a…password of sorts. Very complicated, very complex, but most of all, very long."

"Explain," Ryoma pressed, frowning at the little dragon perched on top of his head.

Lilith, sensing his discomfort, floated down. "It's…very difficult for me to explain. It's not that I can't, it's just that…well, human ears aren't  _built_  to handle those kinds of sounds, but if you want an example, think of a long string of numbers. Now mix those numbers up in your head. Can you remember all of those numbers fifteen minutes from now? An hour?  _That's_  how difficult it is to memorize this 'password.'"

"So all you're saying is that the reason you always stay in the astral plane is because you'll forget the password if you leave," Leo deadpanned.

Lilith nodded. "Correct."

"So what happens if you forget this 'password' of yours?" Xander asked.

"I will be unable to return to the astral plane, which the inhabitants will eventually starve to death in," Lilith said matter-of-factly. "Please understand, if I could remember it, I would."

"Just let us hear it," Leo ordered. "Let us be the judge for how hard it is to remember."

"I thought Lilith said the reason she never told us the existence of this password was because humans are physically incapable of understanding it?" Corrin said.

"We'll see," Leo said.

Lilith sighed. "Very well then. Lord Leo, prepare yourself."

What followed was a long string of babble, odd yelps, growls, snaps, and miniature roars from Lilith. Leo rose an eyebrow at the string of nonsense before waving his hands around to cut her off. "Stop! Stop!"

Corrin tilted his head. "That…that does sound complicated."

Lilith's ears perked up in surprise. "You…you understood it?"

"Well, not really," Corrin admitted. "Like, I can hear each word, but it's like they're all jumbled and mashed up together so that you can't pick out a piece here and there and go 'Oh, this is intelligible.' It's…it's more like organized gibberish."

Xander frowned. "I don't know what you heard, but what all the rest of us heard were just a bunch of weird dragon noises and growls."

"That may be because Lord Corrin is half dragon," Lilith mused. "Dragons have their own tongue, but it's so archaic, even dragons seldom use it, preferring the languages humans already speak. That being said, the tongue is so engrained in our blood, that all dragons, even Lord Corrin, who is only half dragon, can understand it and somewhat speak it."

"I can?" Corrin asked. "How?"

"Well, I'm assuming you have to be in your other half, right?" Azura asked. "And besides…you don't…really have a mouth…do you?"

Corrin looked affronted. "Of course I do!"

Ryoma interrupted them by tightening the straps of his gauntlets. Very audibly. "We're getting side-tracked. Let's go over what we learned today. So, we can send multiple groups at once into Valla to rescue the slaves. Even though Anankos is dead, he managed to resurrect a few servants of his to carry out his bidding, which can consist of killing the rest of the slaves to sabotaging our efforts. What else?"

"We should talk about how to deal with Anankos' servants," Xander said. "We just finished a war, and the last thing I—the last thing  _anyone_  wants—is another war because of Anankos' influence."

"Well, unless you have some sort of magic staff that allows us to magically detect whether someone should be dead or not, we'll just have to sort through the people the old fashioned way," Corrin said tiredly.

"As much as I hate to agree with Corrin on this…I have to agree with him," Leo said awkwardly. "While I want to root out these servants as fast as I can…we just don't have the time or materials. Ryoma, Xander, and Corrin each have their own nations to tend to now, and with the recent casualty numbers, we just don't have the power or numbers to check  _each_  and  _every_  single one of our people."

"That reminds me of another thing," Corrin said grimly. "Casualty reports. Who's responsible for them? Most of the men who died invading Valla were either Hoshidan or Nohrian, so—"

"As future King-Regent of Valla, you should be the first one to address the sacrifices made by both Hoshido and Nohr," Ryoma advised. "Thank the families for their sacrifice and service, but make sure you stay impartial. I understand that you—that we—all lost…friends and families, but when you're in front of the people…I'm afraid you'll have to remain impartial."

Corrin tiredly rested his head in his hands. "What about you two then?" he asked Xander and Ryoma. "Are you going to pay your respects to our dead as well?"

"Of course, little prince," Xander said, using Corrin's nickname for the first time in what felt like centuries. "Everyone lost someone during this war…and us royals are no exception."

"If anything, we got hit even harder," Takumi muttered.

Corrin absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around his finger as he looked over a sheet of paper with all the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Subaki, the perfect expert. Struck down by an arrow volley.

Kaden, the kitsune braggart. Position overrun by undead Vallite puppets. Missing in action.

Shura, the righteous rebel. Physically crushed by Faceless controlled by Anankos.

Azama, the nihilist priest. Killed by undead Vallite puppets.

Orochi, the secret keeper. Killed by Anankos.

Reina, morbid fixations personified. Struck down by Sir Gunter with a  _Thoron_  spell while possessed by Anankos.

Scarlet, the rebellious streak. Struck down by Anankos using Sir Gunter's body.

Beruka, the quiet assassin. Last seen engaging Vallite wyvern rider over battlefield. Missing in action.

Effie, the army of one. Position overwhelmed by Faceless. Missing in action.

All those and more.

Corrin felt a lump in his throat as Azura gently rested a hand on Corrin's other shoulder.

"Hey," she said gently. "It's alright…I'm here for you. We are all."

Corrin rested his own hand on top of Azura's as he looked up at his family and retainers, all of whom were smiling supportively down at him, despite their exhaustion.

"Let's adjourn for today," he said. "I'll…I'll deal with the casualty reports right now. Leo, Niles, Odin, Laslow, Selena, Kaze, Silas—you all must be tired. Take the rest of today and tomorrow off."

"But—"

"No buts. Just…just go take a break. You all deserve it."

Grumbling, though not necessarily unhappy, the members of the search party all filed out, until it was only Xander, Ryoma, Laslow, Selena, Odin, Azura, and Corrin remaining in the room. Xander rose an eyebrow when he saw his retainer staying behind, but said nothing as Azura continued to idly rub her thumb on the back of Corrin's hand.

Corrin looked up as the three retainers approached him. "I thought I ask you guys to take the day off?" he said, though not unkindly.

Odin chuckled. "Heroes do not 'take the day off,' milord. Heroes seek out danger! For where there is danger, there is always an untold tale of adventure and heroics!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, cut the theatrics," Selena said crossly. Her eyes looked red, and Corrin was about to ask why, but upon catching Subaki's name on the list of the deceased, he decided against it.

Laslow bowed towards Xander and Ryoma. "Lord Ryoma. Lord Xander. Or should I say  _King_  Ryoma and King Xander?"

"What do you need?" Ryoma asked gruffly. "Corrin needs to work, and your  _friend's_  theatrics aren't going to help him concentrate."

"It's fine," Corrin said, absentmindedly waving a hand. "I actually prefer some noise when I'm doing work, you know?"

"We…the three of us have something to confess. And it involves Lord Corrin," Laslow said seriously, without smiling.

 _That_  got Xander's attention more than anything. He straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, how about we head back down the tower so Corrin can focus on his work."

Odin sucked his lips in. "Well…you see, Lord—King Xander…we…we came here  _because_  of Corrin."

Xander put his hand up in exasperation. "Please, I'm not a king. Not yet at least. And as for the second part, well, yes. In a way, the only reason we're all standing here today is because of Corrin."

"We're not talking about  _us_  us," Laslow said, gesturing around himself. "We're talking about how the three of us came here."

"The three of you?" Xander asked. "Like, you, Odin, and Selena?"

Corrin looked up, his curiosity getting the better of him this time. Azura tensed, knowing what the three retainers were talking about.

"Yes." Laslow swallowed nervously. "You see…my name isn't really Laslow. It's actually Inigo…"

* * *

"If it wasn't for the fact that Anankos told me most of this beforehand, I'm pretty sure I would've thought you three to be raving."

"That's what she said," Laslow said, nodding towards Azura. "—when we told Azura," he added hastily.

"You actually believe us?" Odin asked, echoing his words in Valla.

"Mostly the parts about Anankos being my father and all that, for obvious reasons."

Corrin sighed and buried his head in his hands. "But the three of you coming from another world? Well, if it wasn't for the fact that we're currently  _in_  one of these said worlds, I wouldn't have believed you. But either way, I guess…everything you said makes sense…somehow."

He chanced a glance towards Xander and Ryoma, who both seemed as confused and furrowed as he. In fact, the only one who didn't seem uncomfortable was Azura, who had gotten off his desk and pulled up another chair beside him so she stroke his hair comfortingly.

"Xander?" he asked. "Ryoma?"

When the two men didn't respond, Corrin said, "Please, you have to understand. Anankos may be my father, but I have no intention of ending up like him!"

"Is that what you're really concerned about right now?" Xander asked.

"We don't  _care_  if you're the son of that monster," Ryoma added. "Look at Xander! His father was Garon! And look at him now!"

"We weren't silent because we were changing our opinions of you," Xander said in a low voice. "You did that on the Hoshidan plains. We…we were just thinking on what Laslow said. About…this Ylisse."

"So you're leaving," Corrin said. It was not a question, but he expected a response either way.

Odin shrugged while Selena nodded. Laslow, however, looked uncertain. "We…we don't know" he finally said. "Odin has…Odin still has a family back home, and Selena has nothing here now save for Caeldori…and I?…I'm still undecided."

"Peri?" Xander said. "Is it because of Peri?"

Laslow dipped his head. "Partly. I'd say she's about seventy percent of the reason why I want to stay here."

"And the other thirty?" Xander asked.

Laslow twisted his hand over his sternum in that odd gesture again and bowed low to the ground, his hair sweeping over his eyes. "Well…in all my years serving you, Lord Xander…I have to say, I've grown awfully fond of your companionship. And I seriously do mean that. Either way, nobody walks out a true winner."

"I…I'm honored to hear that," Xander stammered. He rose up and awkwardly rested his hand on Laslow's shoulders. "Er…Laslow—or should I call you Inigo?"

"Either is fine," Laslow said.

"You've been in my service for nigh-on twelve-odd years. During that time, you—along with your companions—" he glanced towards Selena and Odin—"you and your companions have served Nohr with the highest degree of loyalty. And…and I'll personally make sure that your stories' will be remembered in our history."

"We'd…we would appreciate that," Laslow said, sounding choked.

"Have you told your lieges yet?" Xander asked Selena and Odin.

The two shook their head. "We…we were planning to, but we decided telling Corrin about us and his relationship with his father was more important," Selena explained.

Ryoma cleared his throat awkwardly. "I…I feel like this is a private conversation. I-I'll excuse myself right now."

"No, it's alright King Ryoma," Laslow said. "If we didn't want you to hear our story, we would've just found our respective lieges on a different day. Stay. Listen to us for a while, won't you?"

Though his face looked like he was sucking on a very dry and acrid lemon, Ryoma reseated him next to the bookshelf, tapping his fingers against his armor awkwardly. Ignoring him, Laslow turned his attention back on Corrin.

"Sorry we couldn't tell you first," he said apologetically. "We didn't know Anankos already spoke to you about this…and we thought Azura should be the first to know, since she's—you know—she deserves to know who her people's killer was, and who he wasn't."

"It's alright," Corrin said, waving away Laslow's words. "So what're you going to do now? When do you plan on leaving?"

"When we're done with the reconstruction. And maybe even a little while after that," Selena piped up.

"Is there anything else?" Corrin asked. "Is there perhaps an estranged uncle of mine in your land, or what?"

"Something like that," Odin admitted. "We have had our suspicions on that stable girl of yours, Lilith, for quite some time, but after formally introducing ourselves to her, we had deduced her true identity…as being one of Anankos' former servants!"

Corrin groaned and clutched his head in his hands as a wave of migraines assaulted his head. Azura rubbed his head in an attempt to soothe the pain.

"Three full days of work, little to no sleep, and the revelation about Lilith being my sister is the thing that breaks my brain?" Corrin asked. He rose up and stared at Selena, Laslow, and Odin in the eyes. "You're not kidding. Let me get this straight" you're saying that not only was Lilith a servant of Anankos, but that she's also my  _sister?_  And a biological one at that?"

Xander and Ryoma both sat up straighter in interest, listening as Corrin waved his hands about himself.

"You know how ridiculous that sounds?" Corrin asked. "It's…it's…it's unfathomable!"

He collapsed on his desk, suddenly exhausted. Azura, Xander, and Ryoma shared concerned glances as Corrin rested his head on his arms, groaning in pain as another wave of migraine assaulted him. Azura rested her hand on top of his head, as if to draw out all the demons plaguing his cranium.

"Are...are you alright?" Selena asked. "I know it's a lot to take in at first, but—"

"Just…can you guys give me a few hours to think?" he asked Xander and Ryoma. "I'll…I'll get to the casualty reports soon, but—"

"You're fine," Ryoma said. "Take some days off. You've been working with no sleep or rest, while Xander and I have been…basically doing nothing when compared to you. How much progress have you made on the legislations and state work for Valla?"

"I'm almost done," Corrin moaned, his voice muffled. "Just a few more packets to go through."

"I'll take care of it," Azura said immediately. "Corrin, you should go sleep. I'll take it from here."

"No, no," Xander said, standing up. "Normally, this amount of work requires  _months_  of preparations and planning. Corrin managed to do half that workload in  _three_  days. Azura, you traveled back to Valla a mere day after fighting Anankos. The two of you deserve some time off."

Corrin groaned and dizzily sat back up. "But if we don't do the work now, we'll still have to do the work later."

"Don't worry about it," Ryoma soothed. "The casualty reports don't need to be filed  _immediately_  after a battle, and we can at least arrange part of the ceremonies to commemorate those who passed. Until then, you and Azura can rest and recover. You two have been through a lot through these last few days, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. And we're not even talking about the stress you two have been under because of preparing for the war on Valla, trying to unite Hoshido and Nohr, and living as a fugitive, basically. It's about time you two celebrate the culmination of your work."

Corrin was about to protest before Azura squeezed his hand. He looked over and asked with his eyes,  _Should we?_

 _Why not?_  She asked back.

Sighing in defeat, Corrin stood up, and Azura followed. Xander and Ryoma both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fine," he said tiredly. "Azura and I will take a few days off…while you two finish what I started. Just…uhm, remember that the names on the right are Nohrian, and the names on the left are Hoshidan—"

"Corrin."

"Uh, don't forget to tell Lilith about the slaves…oh, and don't tell her that I learned about our relationship. I need to talk to her first—"

" _Corrin."_

"Oh, and see if you can find a date where I can meet the Vallites. If Azura and I are going to be ruling them in the future, we'll need to—"

"Corrin!"

Corrin blinked and shook his head. Ryoma and Xander both gave him bemused grins as Xander made a  _shooing_  motion towards the door. "You two. Out. Let us handle this."

Corrin blinked as Azura dragged him out, the songstress uttering a grateful  _thank you_  as they descended the stairwell. Before Corrin left the room, however, he hung onto the doorframe with a few fingers and said, "Oh, and Laslow? Selena? Odin?"

"Yes, milord?"

"…thank you for your service. I really do."

And then he was gone.

Xander sighed and rubbed his eyes as he looked at Laslow. "Well, I guess this it, isn't it?" he asked.

Laslow chuckled and shook his head. "Only the beginning of it," he replied. "We still have at least a year or two at most before we leave. But once we do…"

"We'll never see each other again," Ryoma finished.

The two men looked at Ryoma, who only seemed to realize his blunder. "Oh, um. I see this is a private conversation," he said lamely. "I'll…I'll leave now. And Laslow?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you, for trying to stay by Corrin's side. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

Laslow tipped his head as Odin and Selena beamed, the latter of whom more somber. "Of course, milord. It's all part of the job."

Ryoma nodded, before vanishing down the stairs after Corrin and Azura.

Xander's jaw set as he looked awkwardly at the three retainers. "You two should tell your respective royals," he said to Odin and Selena.

The two retainers bowed and quickly left, leaving only Laslow and Xander. His expression morphed into an expression of mock horror as Xander rested a hand on his shoulder again. "Oh Naga," he breathed. "Is a hug really necessary? Why, a lady may catch your scent and think wrongly of me."

"Come now, you've faced down not one—but  _two_  dragon gods, and you're  _still_  afraid of a hug?"

"Well, when it's your boss who's giving you the hug…it's better to air on the side of caution."

Xander chuckled, low and deep. "True that. True that," he says before slinging an arm around Laslow's shoulders and giving him one awkward pat on the back before pulling away.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he said.

Laslow shrugged. "I've hugged worse."

"You're still in my service, you know. I  _could_  fire you."

"Milord, with all due respect, I think you've been spending too much time with Odin."

"Perhaps."

The two men's laughter echoed long from the tower.


	8. Interlude: Blood on the Snow

"Are we there yet?" a woman whined.

"We're scarcely more than two hours away from your father's estate, Lady Tamora," the captain said. "Assuming no bandits or supernatural forces decide to plague us during these next few minutes, we should be there soon."

Tamora pouted and sank back into the seat of her carriage, crossing her arms unhappily. There were currently travelling to her father's estate in the mountains of Nohr for a diplomatic request. With King Garon inexplicably vanishing and presumed dead, and Prince Xander's decree stating that Nohr was no longer at war with Hoshido, she decided to travel home to inform her father of the news.

Spoiled and demanding, she could be, but unnecessary and unjust killing were topics that Tamora was  _strongly_  against. Her father, while modest in temperament and normally coolheaded, housed a near fanatic hatred for the Hoshidans, who often "trespassed" on his land. As if anyone knew the borders this far north. Not even the Hoshidans cared, the those who "trespassed" were more often than not hunters who couldn't make a living off of farming and were forced to move up North to hunt, and even then, they only "trespassed" either by accident, or more commonly, desperation, something all Nohrians were familiar with.

The mountains were dangerous, thousands of feet high, and utterly inhospitable to even the hardiest of animals. So  _of course_ , her great-grand father decided to build his estate there.

At least he had the foresight to build an easy to travel, if not long and winding, road to it. The road was situated around a thick forest, which meant travelers were forced to go the long way, hence why it was so winding and long.

"Well, if that damned horse of yours didn't decide to have a seizure in the middle of the road, we would've been there by now!" she complained.

The captain, a relatively young but burly man, sighed, drawing a long face, grateful that Lady Tamora's carriage windows were blinded. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that he was simply a lowly guard attending to an eighteen-year-old girl's whim. A very  _demanding_  eighteen-year-old at that.

"With all due respect, Lady Tamora," the captain said, barely managing to hide his exasperation, "Hector's charger was already nearing the end of its natural lifespan. Seeing a lady horse as beautiful as Liddel's mare must've…I don't know, gave it a heart attack."

Inside the carriage, Tamora's face softened. She always had a soft spot for horses and animals in general.

"Yes, well…that old horse never really sired any children, now did he?" she said.

"No," the captain confirmed. "A real shame, though. He would've sired many good foals, if he ever had the stamina for it."

Tamora's eye ticked. She  _hated_  topics about animal breeding. She opened the carriage window and chucked a small bottle of perfume at the guard.

"Well, maybe if you damned ingrates  _let_  him settle down peacefully, maybe he would've!" she said venomously.

She was about to hurl another object at the guard, ignoring the looks and chuckles the other men gave her, when a bright flash of light appeared in the sky. A ray of light, red and white in color, shot up into the sky. Her jaw dropped as the other soldiers, sensing danger, drew their weapons and positioned themselves defensively around the carriage. Meanwhile, the carriage driver, an old, grizzled, bearded Nohrian whose eyes told the stories of countless memories, stopped. The horse nickered as they came to a halt.

"What…what was that?" Tamora asked, her breath puffin in the cold weather.

The captain ignored her, instead signaling for two of the guards to investigate. The two men crept into the forest, their weapons unsheathed and ready.

As the two men disappeared from sight, the captain slowly inched back up towards the carriage doors. "Stay inside and don't make a sound, milady," he ordered.

For once, Tamora decided to obey. She hastily closed the carriage window and set stiffly, her hands on her lap. Her fingers scrunched up her pant materials as she heard bushes crackling: surely, the sign of the two men returning, right?

"Langward! Eyre!" the captain called. "What did you find?"

Tamora let a small yelp escape from her lips as a weight slammed into the carriage side, almost causing the transport to tip over. A horse screamed and the driver shouted in alarm before he suddenly went silent, an odd gurgle cutting him off midscream.

Shouts rang out, and a man screamed in pain as the captain shouted, "Hey! Stop!" before he fell silent in a manner similar to that of the carriage driver.

Tamora clamped a hand over her mouth.  _Bandits? But how? Surely, they wouldn't attack such a small convoy, right?_

The convey consisted only of her personal carriage and a smaller wagon for supplies, which meant they would have nothing of value. Sure, she supposed bandits could have attacked them based on how wealthy her carriage looked, but there's been no reports of bandits in this area.

Tamora screamed as blood suddenly splattered the carriage window. She pressed herself as far as she could to the other side of the cramped space before a disembodied  _hand_  shattered the window pane behind her.

The limb fell to the space between the seats with a disgustingly wet sound, and lay there, the index finger twitching in its death throes. She screamed again as the door opposite of her was suddenly wrenched off its hinges. Already, she could smell the stench of blood, and she could the captain lying still on the blood-soaked snow, his face gray and haggard looking.

A shadow suddenly fell over her, and she curled herself into a ball as she tried to blink away the tears obscuring her vision.

_Oh gods please don't let me die I'm only eighteen Let me say goodbye to Andros and my father before I die please don't let me die please oh gods—_

Tamora fell silent as a shadow overfell her. She curled herself into an even smaller ball as the attacker leaned forward and—

Tamora froze.

"W-what—who are you?" she asked, petrified.

Her  _own face_  stared back at her, complete with the beauty mark on the left side of her chin and the minute scar next to her right eye. The attack's hair was even styled the same as hers, long, black, curly hair reaching down to her breast and dyed a deep purple at the end. In fact, the only differences were that the attacker was wearing an ornate, vaguely familiar half-mask over her face, and the too-big robes that hung off the attacker's frame was obviously meant for a male Nohrian mage.

And the  _eyes_.

Instead of the chocolate brown that Tamora received from her mother, the intruder's eyes were a dark maroon red, a red that burned with hatred. For a split second, she thought her doppelganger's eyes flashed an unnatural red light, but just as quickly, the light faded.

In the attacker's hand, there was a tome.

Tamora's eyes flicked down to it, and back up to the attacker's half-mask, now realizing why it looked so familiar.

"W-wait, didn't t-that belong to—

"Lord Anankos sends his regards," the attacker interrupted coldly, its voice matching hers exactly, timbre for timbre, pitch for pitch.

A searing heat pressed itself against Tamora's skin, and she screamed, once, in agony as a blood-red light shone out of the carriage's shattered window.


	9. Chapter 9

Azura sighed in relief as she finally managed to dump Corrin onto the bed in her room. Normally, she would've half-carried, half-stumbled Corrin to his treehouse, but the instant their feet touched the bottom of the stairs leading to Corrin's study in the tower, his head lolled against hers, and his breath became slow, deep, and heavy: a surefire sign of knowing he fell asleep.

Knowing that it was pretty much impossible to lug somebody who was asleep up a ladder, Azura decided to haul him to her quarters. She knew that having an unmarried man and an unmarried woman sleeping in the same room together was frowned upon, but with how her eyelids were already starting to droop, she couldn't bring herself to care.

What she  _didn't_  know was how heavy Corrin could be, especially when he was unconscious. She had to loop her arms underneath his and hold him across the chest in order for her to drag him along. Thus began a nearly half an hour-long trek to her room as she tried to figure out how to  _roll_  his body up the set of stairs leading to her room.

She desperately wished Corrin would wake up, but apparently, being half-dragon meant you needed more sleep than usual when compared to a normal human being, so Azura didn't even bother trying to wake him up. He always was a deep sleeper, anyways.

Plus, even if she would never admit it, she kind of liked seeing Corrin's face when he was sleeping, when it was free of the customary worry lines and frowns during the war. It was a sight she rarely got to see, not just because of the fact that having the two of them together in bed would be the talk of the castle for  _weeks_ , but because of time constraints created by the war.

So when Azura finally plopped Corrin onto her bedsheets, it was all worth it. She flopped herself onto the bed next to him. She spent a few moments wondering if she should change, considering how she was still wearing the same clothes she wore on her trek into Valla.

After a wrestling with herself for a few moments, she decided to. She always was one to be finicky about her own personal neatness. She reluctantly swung her legs off the edge of the bed and opened her wardrobe. She carefully stripped her white dress off, hanging it neatly on one of her hangers, leaving only the sarashi wrapped her chest and white briefs on her body.

As she carefully unwrapped the sarashi around her midriff and chest, she prayed that Corrin wouldn't wake up and see her in such a state. That was, of course, what happened.

Right as she dropped her smallclothes to the floor, she heard her bed creak, and she instantly snatched a random dress out of her wardrobe and covered herself with it. Poorly.

Her quarters was only a single room consisting of only a bed, her wardrobe, and a small nightstand next to her bed, which meant there was nowhere for her to hide as Corrin groggily sat up, hand rubbing his head as he turned to look at Azura.

"Wuzz going on?" he mumbled sleepily.

"U-uh, nothing!" Azura said, trying to adjust the small piece of cloth in front of her naked body to cover more of it. "J-just go back to sleep, Corrin. It's all fine, I promise!"

Corrin blinked slowly, before shrugging. "Okay," he mumbled as he flopped back onto the bed, his hands scrabbling for the edge of the blanket. "Juss gimme a moment…shirt…shirt annoying."

Azura watched breathlessly as Corrin tugged off his skin-tight armor and tossed his tunic over his shoulder, onto the floor. Thankfully, while he stripped off the armor on his legs, he left his pants on, so that his only his chest was bare. Satisfied, he flopped back onto the bed, whereupon he promptly fell back asleep.

Azura let a small smile break out on her face as she watched him. "Of course you would fall back sleep," she whispered fondly, so as to not wake him again.

She quickly finished changing into her sleeping clothes, a lowcut, purple dress reaching to just above her hips. She paused, rubbing a finger over a black ink spot.

It was the same dress she wore when she was talking with Corrin when they were camped out in the fort. Corrin had spilled a bottle of ink in his exhaustion, and she offered to clean it up for him.

Gods, could that have been just barely a week ago?

Azura sighed as she crawled in next to Corrin, shifting so that her head rested on his chest, over his heart. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she carefully wedged her leg between his.

"Why is it you're always this adorable when you're sleeping?" she whispered. Normally, she wasn't one to be so… _brazen,_  she guess she could say, but with the love of her life lying sleeping underneath her, and soothed by the knowledge that they could finally rest together,  _in peace_ , she guessed anyone in a similar situation would also feel pretty  _brazen._  She gently ran a finger over his jawline, his skin smooth and devoid of even the smallest of stubbles.

Guess half-dragons don't need to shave, apparently.

She settled in again and closed her eyes, allowing the soothing drone of his heartbeat to lull her to sleep. As she fell victim to her waking dreams, she swore she felt Corrin's arms tighten affectionally around her.

But maybe that was just another figment of her imagination.

* * *

The rest of the week is spent organizing parties to send into Valla to find the slaves. Most of the groups return after two to three days, along with several dozen slaves, anywhere from between thirty to a couple hundred.

At the end of the week, Lilith informed Corrin and Azura that all of the surviving slaves have been located and safely deposited in the astral plane. Like the first group Azura's party found, most of the slaves reported that Anankos had apparently sent what remained of his servants to seek them out and kill them. Thankfully, the search parties they sent out managed to save most of the slaves.

They then spent another two days taking a census of the rescued Vallites and settling them in. The number of surviving Vallites numbers roughly around 1500, barely large enough to be considered a town in either Hoshido or Nohr, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in patience and gratitude.

But despite the Vallites' optimistic attitude, all are in desperate need for food, proper clothing, shelter, and medical care. It is only because of the magic flowing through the astral planes that Corrin, Azura, and the rest of the royal siblings were able to procure enough supplies for them, and even then, by the end of it, Lilith drooped her head in exhaustion.

"I didn't know it was possible to 'use up' all of the magic in the astral plane, but apparently, that's possible," she said quietly as she curled her tail around herself in preparation of another nap.

Corrin had frowned then, Laslow's, Odin's, and Selena's words on how she was his sister coming back to him, but he never said anything.

Then came the goodbyes.

It was the first time Corrin had ever attended a "funeral" of sorts, and it was definitely something he didn't want to experience again anytime soon. There were too many shrouds—too many fallen friends and allies—for Corrin to count.

He was expected to make a speech to commemorate the fallen, along with Ryoma and Xander, and he had accepted the task without hesitation, and now he was standing on the raised dais in front of the castle's main hall with his brothers, lips sealed shut as Ryoma and Xander monotonously read off the names of those who gave their lives in service of Valla.

Corrin wanted to be the one to read the names, feeling as to how everyone who died did so for his cause, but Ryoma and Xander both disagreed, stating that since they were either Hoshidan or Nohrian, it was only fitting that their respective crown princes honored them. Corrin couldn't find an argument to stand against that point, so in the end, he accepted Ryoma and Xander's decision, but only if Corrin was to be the one responsible for reading the names of those who died in his personal guard, and the two royals had agreed.

At the time, he was grateful for how the debate had turned out. Now, as he stood on the dais, facing the silent crowd and listening to Xander finishing his list, the consequences of his refusing to choose a side in what felt like an eternity ago came crashing down upon him.

Xander cleared his throat, and gestured to Corrin. "And now, the one responsible for linking all of us here together today, the future King-Regent of Valla, Prince of Hoshido and Nohr, he who possesses the blood of dragons, and my own brother. Please stand for Lord Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto."

Corrin forced down the lump in his throat as he walked up to where Xander stood. The Nohrian prince took a moment to set a hand on Corrin's shoulder before walking away to stand where the rest of the royals were.

Corrin took a moment to tug nervously at the collar of his tunic. He wasn't afraid of speaking in front of large crowds—far from it. It was just that the context of the whole situation was what set him on edge.

He glanced behind himself to see everyone, including Takumi, nodding or smiling supportively. His eyes lingered on a certain blue-haired songstress, who smiled faintly back at him and nodded supportively. It was then that Corrin spoke, loud and clear.

"For us, the storm has passed. The war between Hoshido and Nohr is over, if not officially yet. Valla has been liberated from Anankos' claws, and we have saved all of those who have suffered at his hands."

Corrin glanced at the motley group of Vallites staring back at him. Many of them were starting to regain the lost mass they lost during their imprisonment, but it wasn't their presence that Corrin knew was important.

These were his future people, the vanguards of a new peace ushered by his actions. They weren't here to honor the dead, though that was certainly a part of it. Rather, they were here to judge their future ruler, to see if he was the man Azura made him out to be, albeit in her own shy way.

At the forefront of the group was a pale old man. Corrin remembered that his name was something starting with an  _O_  and that the he used to serve as Azura's father's retainer. He hadn't personally talked or met with the man yet, but judging by concerned expression on his face and how his arms were crossed, Corrin knew that in order to win over the hearts of the Vallites, he had to win over that old man's heart.

Corrin cleared his throat. "All of us here today have made countless sacrifices, sacrifices the likes of which no other person in this world have experienced. But let us never forget the names of those who journeyed into the howling dark and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure, sacrifice, and unshakeable conviction that their fight—our fight—was elsewhere. This decision required an unimaginable amount of trust on a prince who, until very recently, no one knew about. I was that prince. Had it not been for the faith and support that all of you had shown me, I doubt any of us would be here today. And so I would like to take this time to commemorate those who went above and beyond the line of the duty. Everyone mentioned previously can all be considered heroes and legends in their own right, but these next few names are the names of the ones who stood by me, from the very beginning to the very end. Their loss pains me beyond measure, as many of them were close enough to be my friends—and to many of you, a comrade. A leader. An ally. A reliable source of backup or safety."

But to me, all of them were members of my elite guard, the ones who chose to fight for peace between our nations from the very beginning. Most of them, I had barely met, and we joined forces simply because it was the most optimal choice at our time of meeting. Others joined us simply because they heard of the cause we were striving towards, and felt that it was necessary to lay their lives down for it. And because of those choices, we shall remember them…"

By the end of it all, his voice was threatening to break, so he silently took up the torch and set ablaze to the shrouds covering his friends' bodies. Ryoma and Xander did the same, except for the respective dead from their own respective kingdoms.

Kaden's shroud was bright orange and adorned with a red pattern reminiscent of the patterns on his fur when he transformed into his alter self. Hana stood silently nearby, not bothering to hide the tears flowing down her face as she rested a hand on her belly. Only two nights ago, had she discovered the news, but without Kaden...was it really that good?

Subaki's was twisted in shades red and white, emblazoned with a logo of swords and lances—Selena's and Caeldori's final gift to their husband and father. The two red-haired women were both unusually quiet that day, and right fully so. As the shroud went up in flames, Selena silently took out a ring attached to a chain from under her tunic and thumbed it absentmindedly.

Shura was a simply black covering with forest-green trimmings. Instead of a design, a scroll—the one containing his plans to rebuild his country—was tied onto where his hands were clasped over his chest by a blue and white tie. The contents were already copied down by Xander's neatest handwriting and Ryoma had already promised to broach the subject of returning the land to its proper owners after leaving the astral plane.

Scarlet was, as expected, a marron red adorned with all manners of jewelry, shiny stones, and other "shiny" objects. Her body was never recovered in Valla, with Ryoma stating it was better for her to remain undisturbed, yet Corrin and Hinoka insisted on her "attendance." Thus, a replica of her favorite spear wrapped in the middle of the shroud.

All those and more, they burned, turning them from cloth to smoke. As Corrin coughed and waved away the smoke from his mouth, he glimpsed Azura watching him, and he knew he had to finish. And so he did.

The whole time, the three hundred or so survivors watched silently, callously, their faces betraying not a jot of emotion as they watched Ryoma, Xander, and Corrin send their friends, brothers, fathers, and allies up into the heavens. It was only when the three royals finished the ceremony and turned to face them, that their faces broke.

Men simultaneously wrapped each other in rough hugs as they said words of encouragement and support to each other. Corrin's siblings each gave each other hugs, but said little as they watched the remains of the once-proud Hoshidan and Nohrian armies interact with each other.

The whole thing was very touching, yet as Corrin watched, he felt increasingly hollow inside, but when he felt Azura's cool hands wrap themselves around his arm, he let himself fall into her embrace and allowed himself to be dragged away by her towards the castle's main hall.

Azura pulled him against her, pinning herself against a stone pillar, and Corrin obliges. She reaches for him, and he's already reaching for her. Their hands find each other grasping and bold.

As they leaned into each other for a kiss, a shadow overfell them. Azura, alarmed, pushed him away. Corrin stumbled backward…right into Leo.

"Gah!" he yelped, jumping away from the blonde and subsequently crashing into Azura, crushing her against the pillar.

She made a small yelp of discomfort as she pushed Corrin away, like a pinball, and thus ensued an awkward moment of Leo and Azura pushing Corrin between themselves, desperate not to be the one catching the half-dragon.

Finally, Corrin managed to find his balance. He smoothened out his cape and adjusted his armor straps as he looked at Leo.

"W-what do you need, Leo?" he asked.

"Where do you two think you were heading off to?" Leo snapped, tugging uncomfortably at his shirt collar. It was only then that Corrin noticed how it was inside-out, but considering the circumstances, decided to remain silent.

"We just had a funeral for the fallen, and by the I turn around, I see you two gone!" Leo continued. "Again, what were you thinking?"

"It was my fault," Azura said immediately, shifting so that it was she who stood in front of Corrin.

"Azura!"

"I saw Corrin was feeling…down, so I decided to comfort him," Azura continued, staring straight into Leo's eyes. "Am I not allowed to do such a thing?"

Leo fidgeted uncomfortably. He remembered a time where Corrin told him how he had walked into Azura bathing and the burning  _glare_  she gave him for a week. Evidently, she felt the same way about Leo scolding Corrin after a funeral as she did for people walking in on her naked.

Even though Corrin described the look with words, even the description caused a shudder to run down Leo's spine. But now that he was actually  _experiencing_  it…

"Is there anything you need?" Corrin said meekly, peeking out from behind Azura's long blue hair.

"J-just to tell you that Gunter escaped," Leo said, trying to compose himself.

Corrin's eyebrows could've jumped off his face. "He  _what?"_  he asked.

"Dungeon cell empty. Gunter gone," Leo repeated, now back up to his usual snarkiness once Azura turned her burning gaze off. As she turned towards Corrin, Leo allowed himself to relax for a split-second.

_Whew—another second of that and she would've drilled a hole straight through my head._

"Where is he?" Corrin asked, stepping in front of Azura.

"I just told you—the guards don't know where he is," Leo said. "The cell bars are undamaged, there's no sign of tunneling or magic being used. It's like he just  _vanished_. In fact, the only sign he was ever there in the first place was the fact that the bread from the food tray was eaten."

"People don't just vanish, Leo," Corrin said crossly. "Besides, there's no way for him to leave the astral plane without Lilith or me knowing, which means he's still inside the castle."

Leo opened his mouth to reply until a couple of guards ran up to them. "Sire!" one of them called. "We've found the prisoner!"

"Where?" Corrin demanded, stepping out from behind the pillar. "Where is he? Is he hurt?"

The guard's face twisted in confusion. "Er—I can't say if he's hurt or not, but a couple others guards saw him sneaking into your study, but weren't able to stop him before he barricaded himself in it."

"He's in my study?" Corrin asked. "Like, the one in your tower?"

The guards nodded fervently. "We were just about to get equipment to break down the door." Upon noticing the pained expression on Corrin's face, the guard added, "He's locked himself in your study, you see. There's no way in or out—unless he intends to jump."

Corrin's eyes widened as a realization came to him. "That's what he might be intending to do," he said in a hushed whisper before shaking his head, the persona of a collected leader replacing the shocked one he wore right now.

"You two, come with me," he ordered to the guards. "Leo, I want you to find at least four other men and have them bring the necessary equipment for storming my study within five minutes. Azura—"

"I'll come with you," she said, already understanding what he was planning to do. "If Anankos is still influencing him somehow, maybe I can use my song to—"

"Out of the question," Corrin interrupted. "I don't want you to take that risk. I just want you by me…in case something goes wrong."

Azura frowned, clearly unhappy with Corrin's orders, but nodded her head.

Leo cleared his throat. "Uh, should we, you know, set some mattresses or beds outside, under your study's balcony in case things goes south?"

Corrin stared at him with a peculiar expression. "W-what? No!" he said. "As soon as you find those men, send them up to the door to my study and head outside and prepare to cast a spell in case he  _does_  jump. I don't plan on him doing so, but better safe than sorry."

Leo nodded. "What of Flora and Felicia? And Jakob?"

Corrin hesitated, foot mid-step as he paused. "…keep them away from Gunter," he finally said. "Gunter was…like a father to them, almost as much as he was one to me. I'm sure they'll hate him for betraying me and…I fear bringing them near Gunter may be the thing to push him over the edge."

"Seriously?" Leo deadpanned. "'Over the edge?'"

"That was unintended and you know it!" Corrin said as he, Azura, and the two guards vanished around the corner. "You know what you have to do, Leo, so go do it!"

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the study, Gunter paced back and forth, gnarled hands clutching blindly at his hair.

Seven steps forward. About-face. Seven steps forward. About-face. Seven steps forward. About-face.

Why was he still alive? He should've died long ago! First when Garon killed his family and village, second when Hans—damn that man! —hurled him off The Bottomless Canyon. Third when Anankos tried to take over his body, fourth when Corrin freed him from that damnable wyrm's service, and a fifth time when Anankos died!

_So why isn't he dead yet?_

A sharp rap at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Gunter's hands automatically shot towards his waist for the dagger he always carried before remembering his status as a prisoner. Hell, save for the pitiful scraps of cloth they gave him for clothes, he was completely naked.

 _Maybe this was just a mistake,_  he thought to himself.  _Maybe I should've just awaited my judgement like a common criminal—but no! I have to spare Corrin the pain of—_

Another sharp rap knocked on the door, this time with more force behind it.

"Open up, prisoner!" a man ordered, his voice muffled by the wood. "You have approximately thirty seconds to comply before we break down this door ourselves!"

"Try it!" Gunter replied, palming a letter-opener from Corrin's desk. It was a poor weapon and no replacement for his trust lance or dagger. "If I'm going down, I'm promising you I'll take at least one of you with me!"

_But I won't, because you all now serve Corrin, and there's no way I could ever hurt him—_

"Erin!" another voice said, its owner sounding much younger and youthful than the burley, seared tone of the other guard. Gunter paused mid-step, a foot still in the air as a chill ran down his spine, realizing who the owner of that voice was.

"Gunter, it's me, Corrin!" Corrin (obviously) said. "What's wrong? How did you get escape from your cell?"

"Stay away from me, milord!" Gunter shouted. "You'd only hurt yourself if you try to help me!"

On the other side of the door, Corrin and Azura shared a pained look.

"Gunter, calm down!" Corrin replied. "I'm not here to hurt you! I just want to—"

"I know you're not here to hurt me," Gunter said, bracing a shoulder against the wooden door. "I'm just afraid of me hurting  _you_."

Corrin sighed. "I know," he said tiredly. "Is it because of your betrayal back in Valla?"

Gunter snorted. "What else could it be?" he asked. "The mere fact that you let me live at all afterwards was a sign of weakness. You should've executed me right then and there in that throne room!"

"I spared you, not because of weakness, but because I want to know!" Corrin said, sounding slightly more frustrated now. "I wanted to know  _why_  you betrayed us! Was it because of something in the past? Or was it because some other reason?"

"All of my actions are in the past," Gunter said bitterly. "Do you remember what I told you about my relationship with Garon?"

A pause.

"…No. I don't believe you ever did."

Gunter sighed as he leaned against the door, sliding down it until he was sitting, ignoring the aches in his joints and knees. "It was long ago, back when I used to serve as Garon's retainer."

"I remember," said Corrin's voice. "You said he offered you dragon's blood, but you refused, right?"

"Aye. That I did," Gunter agreed. "But what I didn't tell you at the time was his reaction to it."

"What happened?"

Gunter buried his face in his hands as the memories from that night overcame him. "He was greatly offended," he muttered.

"What? I didn't catch that last part. This door's sort of in the way, so if you could just open—"

"I won't allow that!" Gunter suddenly shouted, springing to his feet. "What I've done, and what I'm doing right now…is shameful. I won't let you see me like this!"

Corrin backed away from the door and rose his hands placatingly, even though he knew Gunter could not see him. Azura and the six other men beside him gave him concerned looks.

"Milord," one of them asked, "should we—"

"No," Corrin said, interrupting the man with a wave of his hand. "He's…stressed. Forcing him to cooperate may do us more harm than good right now. Just…just let me deal with him."

"By your command, sire."

Azura clasped Corrin's forearm. "Corrin," she hissed. "You  _have_  to solve this peacefully. If this is your first act as King-Regent—"

" _Future_  King-Regent," he hissed back. "We haven't married yet, you know. Plus, the kingdom's not…exactly, you know, a kingdom yet. It's more like a small town."

"You know what I mean!" Azura said, fighting to ignore the blush the butterflies in her stomach at the mere thought of  _Corrin_  and  _marriage_  in the same sentence. "This is your christening act as the future King-Regent of Valla! If you butcher this, my people will never accept you as their—"

"I  _know_ ," Corrin said, sighing and hiding his face in the palm of his hand. "I know what this means to me—to  _you_ , but trust me, it'll work out."

Turning back to the door, Corrin said in his most soothing tone, "Okay, I won't open the door, nor am I going to force you to do anything. All I want is for you to tell me what happened after you refused Garon's offer."

Gunter slowly sank down to the floor. "He killed them," he said simply.

"Killed who?"

"My wife," he said simply. "My son. My whole village. Burned, pillaged, and desecrated."

A single tear dropped to the tiled floor.

"And for what?" Gunter continued bitterly. "For refusing his offer?  _Bah_. At the time, I thought so, but after serving you, after watching the desolate look on your face when your siblings left you in the Northern Fortress under my care, that was when I understood."

"…understand what?" Corrin asked in a hushed tone.

On the other side, Azura clapped her hands over her mouth as she looked wide-eyed at Corrin. Several of the other guards turned theirs heads away in discomfort, and more than one clenched their fist in anger.

"Damn Nohrians," one said.

"Killing our people and invading our land out of desperation, I can understand, but killing an entire village because your servant refused to take your gift?  _Disgusting_ ," another uttered.

"Never did understand how royal minds worked," a third said before being silenced by a look from Corrin and Azura. "…sorry…"

"…what did you understand?" Corrin asked again.

"I…I understood that…I will never understand how the minds of royals worked," Gunter said bitterly. "One moment you're all high and mighty, acting as if you're concerned for the wellbeing of us commoners, and the next, you stoop down to our level and burn us for no other reason than to satisfy your own personal whims. To you all, we're simply weeds—little more than pawns in your  _grand old_  scheme."

"Is…is that what you all think of me?" Corrin asked the guards. To his concern, only one or two of them shook their heads.

"I mean, King Garon never really treated us as kindly as you did when we were under your service, milord," one of them said. "But then again, when we  _were_  serving under him, at least we knew what we were fighting towards."

"Aye," another said. "I'll stand by ya 'till the end, lor' Corrin, bu' 'til I know of a place where I can raise my lil' girl in your kingdom, Ima'fraid ma' allegiance belongs ta Lor' Xander."

"But you don't hate me the same way Gunter hates royals, right?" Corrin pressed.

"A'course nah'!" the second guard said. "I've seen ya in action, both on 'n off tha' battlefiel', 'n I gotta say, if I could magically change ma side t'be yours from th' get-go, I would've. Nah' alotta people like ya' t'be willin' to lay down their life for 'one they've never met before."

"Same here," a third guard said. "We've heard about how torn you were when we arrived in Valla, and any leader who cares about the mental wellness of their men will have my support at least."

"Well, that's heartening," Corrin muttered. "Thank you."

"Of course, milord."

Gunter was still talking. "After Garon killed my family, I vowed to have my revenge on Nohr and on Garon. When he assigned me to act as your retainer, at first, I thought I should murder you, the same way he murdered my child!"

Corrin shuddered.

"But then…something changed." Gunter's tone softened. "I…when I saw you for the first time, I didn't see something that could help further my goals. I didn't see a way to strike back at Garon. Rather…I saw… _you_."

"Me?"

"At first, I only thought to raise you to further my own goals, befriending you for the sole purpose to use against the man who took everything from me, but as you grew up…that changed. I saw you less and less of a living tool, and more and more of…my son. The son that my child would've grown up to be."

"…Gunter?"

The older man wiped away a tear. "I'm not done with my story yet, boy. I don't know when it happened, or how it happened, but one day…I just forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"My desire for vengeance," Gunter answered. "Gone were the nights I stayed up past dawn dreaming of ways to kill Garon. Gone were loathing glares I gave you whenever you did something that even remotely reminded me of my child. I…I just started…I thought I could put my past behind me."

Gunter shook his bitterly and pounded his fist into the floor, ignoring the screams of protest his now-bruised hand screamed at him. "I was a fool."

"How…how were you a fool?" Corrin asked, a little hesitatingly.

Gunter chuckled humorlessly. "You know what happened. Garon allowed you out of the Northern Fortress for your first 'mission.' Hans threw me down The Bottomless Canyon, and you nearly as well, had it not been for Lilith. At first, I thought I was dead; there was no way anybody could've fallen into The Bottomless Canyon and live…yet there I was. Still alive and as broken and bitter as before. And that was when  _he_  found me."

Distaste crept into Corrin's tone as he said, "Anankos."

Gunter nodded. "Anankos," he agreed.

He could still feel the presence of Anankos, cold, dark, damp, and scaly, like an old wet snake against his mind. And that  _voice!_  That low whisper uttering empty promises of vengeance and fulfilled promises. The memory disgusts him and he venomously spits onto the floor.

"Did…did you just—"

"While Anankos can possess and puppeteer the dead in whatever way he wished, he had no such control of the  _living_ ," Gunter said. "He could control the living as well as he could the dead—at least, without their permission. And he  _wanted_  you to give him that permission."

"Their permission?"

"The permission for him to reach into your hearts and see your greatest desires, your deepest secrets," Gunter said. "He always promised to give so much in return for so little, and always promised that he would deliver them…You could say no, and he would leave for a short time, but like a plague, he would always be back, and most at the time whenever you were reminded of your powerlessness."

Gunter leaned forward and clutched his head in his hands. " _He was always there!"_  he hissed. "But once you let him in…that was it! He would grab and twist your will, until that  _one_  desire became your every waking moment! It would fester and become an obsession, nay,  _an addiction_ , which he would then use to bring you even closer to him! Yes, he was the one who was controlling me in Valla, but had I refused—had I hung on even  _just a tiny bit longer—_ he would've never been able to possess me. Thus, I am the one at fault here. Wholly and completely."

Suddenly angry, Gunter rose up and pounded the door with all his strength. Corrin and others on the other side of the door stumbled backwards in shock and surprise as Gunter continued to pound on the wood.

"You don't understand!" he shouted. "I killed Scarlet! I betrayed you!"

"I know—" Corrin started, but was interrupted as Gunter pounded the door again, even louder than before.

"I'm better off dead than alive!" Gunter screamed. "Just because you allowed me to live because of your own freewill, because of your compassion, because you  _forgave_ me, it  _does not make it alright!_ Corrin, you  _have_ to learn that just because you say everything's fine, and that people  _act_  fine, it doesn't mean everything  _is_  fine! I swore to serve you, yet I betrayed you. And not just you, but also Flora, Felicia, Jakob, Lilith, and Azura! I am an oathbreaker, a treater, and an attempted regicide! These are things you  _cannot_ forgive and expect others to think the same!"

"I know but I don't care!" Corrin shouted back, his composure breaking for once. "I don't care that—"

"You should!" Gunter said. "Just because  _you_  forgave me doesn't mean I can forgive myself!"

Silence.

"I killed Scarlet, and I nearly killed both you and Azura!" Gunter continued. "How am I supposed to keep on living after that, knowing I almost killed my adoptive son because I got too caught up in the moment of exacting my revenge on the man who took my first son away from me?"

Corrin was silent for a long time, and Gunter thought that the future king had walked away until he heard him say to the guards, "Do it."

That was all the warning he got before the door suddenly exploded inward, showering the room with splinters. Gunter automatically shielded his eyes and face with one hand as he stabbed downward with the letter opener.

To his surprise, he met resistance, and blood coated his hand and arm as he forced his eyes open. To his horror, he saw the end of the letter opener sticking through the back of Corrin's hand, the end coated in blood. He must've either tried to wrestle the blade out of Gunter's hand, but badly misjudged the distance, or else he simply  _allowed_  it to happen. Judging by the stone-faced expression on Corrin's face, Gunter guessed it was the latter.

Gunter released the knife and scrabbled away as the patches of blood on his exposed skin began to sting and burn—Corrin's blood.

"Lord Corrin—"

"Gunter, you are to be taken in for…questioning and psychological evaluations," Corrin said, his voice devoid of the pain that should've been caused by the metal sticking out of his hand and full of authority. "If you do not come peacefully with us, we'll have you come by force."

Gunter's face curled in distaste, anger, and hatred, but all directed towards himself.

"I…I cannot," he said.

Corrin's brow furrowed in frustration. "Why?" he shouted. "Why can't you just forgive yourself and come with me? I know you'll never be able to serve as a retainer again because of your actions, and that you betrayed us because a nearly decade-long grudge, but that's okay! I'm alive, Azura's still alive, and we're all fine and dandy! We can—"

"You are  _not_  fine and dandy," Gunter growled. He gestured towards Corrin's bloody hand. "I just  _stabbed_  you through the hand with a knife! And you  _still_ want me around?"

Suddenly, the words he just said and the action he just did sank in. He stumbled backwards until his heels met Corrin's mahogany desk, and he clutched at his head with his hands, ignoring the stinging sensation.

Oh gods," he whispered. "I  _stabbed_ you. I  _stabbed_  you!"

Corrin rose his hands in a placating gesture as he slowly walked towards Gunter. "Don't worry, I've already called for a healer. She'll be here within seconds, which means there's no permanent harm to your actions. You just…overreacted that's all."

" _Overreacted?"_  Gunter repeated, eye twitching.

"Listen, Gunter," Corrin continued, ignoring Gunter's interruption. "I know you feel incredibly guilty about this whole thing, but please— _trust_  me. I—"

"I cannot," Gunter said curtly as he backed away towards the balcony window. "You know why I can't. Just…please, Lord Corrin. Grant me the release I seek."

"Gunter…"

"Hey hey hey, watch out!" one of the guards shouted.

"He's making a run for it! He's going to jump!"

In one fluid motion, Gunter turned around and wrested the door open, causing a wind to blow in and scatter the paperwork everywhere. Corrin slapped a map out of his face as he squinted into the light. To his alarm, he could see the silhouette of Gunter climbing up onto the railing.

"Gunter!" he shouted. "Don't do anything rash!"

Gunter instead simply turned around and gave a salute in Corrin's direction. "It was an honor serving underneath you, milord. I only wish I could've lived up to your standards, the same way you've lived onto mine."

"Gunter!"

Gunter's foot gave way to empty air, and then he fell…

And fell…

And fell.


	10. Chapter 10

"Dammit!" Corrin shouted, running to where Gunter had been standing before he fell.

As he looked down, he was afraid he was going to see Gunter's broken form on the floor, or even worse, a patch of blood, but to his surprise, Gunter's frame was floating amicably down to the ground. It was only then that Corrin remembered what he said to Leo prior meeting with Gunter.

" _Uh, should we, you know, set some mattresses or beds outside, under your study's balcony in case things goes south?"_

_Corrin stared at him. "W-what? No! As soon as you find those men, send them up to the door to my study and head outside and prepare to cast a spell in case he does jump. I don't plan on him doing so, but better safe than sorry."_

"Safe than sorry, huh?" he muttered to himself.

He did not turn his head as he felt Azura's hands on his shoulder.

"Oh gods, Corrin," she breathed. "What have we done?"

Corrin opened his mouth to speak, closed it when no sound came out, opened it again, and closed it for the second time before shaking his head. His jaw set, and his face as hard as stone, he turned and walked way, through the study, ignoring the mess made by the wind, strode down the stairs, and through the castle until he was where Leo was gently levitating Gunter's frame down the floor. The six guards who accompanied him followed Corrin silently down the stairs.

Already, there was a crowd gathered around the old retainer, everyone pushing and shoving in order to catch a peel at the sight. Corrin signaled for the six guards accompanying him and Azura to spread out and prevent the crowd from getting too close.

"Keep everyone away," he ordered, his tone low. "We have to keep this under wraps, do you understand?"

"As you wish, milord."

As he approached Leo, Gunter turned his head to look at Corrin. "Why?" he rasped. "Why won't you let me die honorably?"

"Because you're not a Hoshidan and only Hoshidans can die with honor," Leo deadpanned. "Nohrians just die. No glamor, no nothing."

Corrin shot a withering glare at Leo that said  _really? Not now._  Leo shrugged and stepped away as Corrin cradled Gunter's body.

"I cast a full body-binding hex on him," Leo explained. "It's going to be impossible for him to move. That way, you can talk to him without fear of him hurting himself…or you."

"Thank you, Leo," Corrin said, not looking away from the older man whose head he cradled in his arms.

"Why, Gunter?" he whispered. "Why are you so ashamed of yourself that you would rather prefer taking your own life rather than stay and face the consequences?"

"I can't," Gunter said simply. "Anankos took control of me once before. Who's—"

"Anankos is said!" Corrin interrupted. "Anankos is dead and I killed him! You don't need to worry about his influence anymore!"

"I'm not worried about  _his_  influence," Gunter growled. "I'm worried about the mark it left on me! I told you before, milord—Anankos would've never possessed me if I hadn't let him turn my drive to exact revenge on Garon into an obsession! I can't be trusted around you, or any royals for that matter, and I'm definitely not worth the time and effort needed to imprison me."

Corrin sighed as he bowed his head. "You're not well, Gunter," he said, shaking Gunter's shoulders and forcing him to his feet. "We're taking you some place safe so we can help you can get better."

"What's going on here?"

Corrin looked up as a pale old man managed to push his way through one of the six guards Corrin had ordered to keep the crowd back. Corrin raised an eyebrow as he realized that the man was the same man he had glimpsed during the ceremony, the one standing in front of the Vallites.

"Who are you?" Corrin asked, grimacing inwardly at how terribly forward that sounded.

The old man bowed. "Ah, please forgive me for interrupting," he apologized. "Otis Argyis at your service. I was Queen Azura's father's retainer, you see, and…" Otis shook his head. "Never mind that now. What's going on?"

Corrin pursed his lips as he signaled to Azura that she should distract Otis while he took care of Gunter. Azura nodded, understanding, and stepped forward to put herself between them and Otis.

"I'm so sorry, Otis," she said, "but unfortunately, we're having a bit of a crisis right now, so please understand if we have to hide anything from you and your people this soon into meeting Lord Corrin. He's a wonderful ruler, I'm sure, but—"

"Oh, I've heard the tales of Prince Corrin and Queen Azura already!" Otis said earnestly, waving a hand away. "I'm just here to tell you that what that old man floating in the air there is suffering from is an illness that us Vallites named 'Anankos' Curse.'"

Corrin froze. "What?"

"'Anankos' Curse,'" Otis repeated. "Haven't you heard of it?"

"I don't—"

Otis rubbed his chin. "Well, then again, Anankos  _has_  been keeping the knowledge of Valla away from the rest of the world, so I guess it's not that far off to guess that nobody's heard of the disease, much less Anankos and Valla. Anankos' Curse, as we have named because of the fact that only those possessed by Anankos himself, a  _disease_  that plagues those who were possessed by Anankos, either willingly or unwillingly—"

"You don't just  _let_  Anankos possess you," Gunter said bitterly. "You have a choice."

"That's not important right now!" Otis said, flapping his hands. "The point is, your friend, Lord Corrin, is suffering from Anankos' Curse. I can't explain how I know, but—"

"Perhaps," Leo interrupted, "we should take this conversation inside?"

He gave a pointed glance towards the crowd of people leaning in, desperate to hear the words being passed between the group.

Corrin nodded. "We should," he agreed.

Together, Corrin, Leo, Azura, and Otis helped Gunter into the main hall, with the guards slowly following them and attempting to push back the clamoring crowd of people.

"Captain, keep those people out of here," Leo ordered.

"Of course, sire."

As they walked through the hall, Elise ran up to them, her healing staff already In hand.

"Heya!" she chirped. "I heard you needed me, Corrin?"

Corrin glanced behind himself at where Leo was dragging Gunter. Elise followed his gaze and frowned at the sight of the older man being dragged.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, kneeling down. "Is he hurt?"

Corrin grimaced. "Physically, no. Mentally though…"

Elise looked up in concern at Corrin and her eyes widened at the sight of his hand dripping blood onto the floor. "Oh my gods! Corrin, your hand!"

"Hm?" Corrin looked down at the offending hand, as if he just realized that there was still a knife sticking through it. "Oh, uh, I think that's why I called you here."

"You're going to catch an infection from that if you don't let me heal that!" Elise said, the staff in her hands already beginning to glow.

"Actually, can we wait for us to do this later?" Corrin asked. "I know it's serious, but there's something we need to do before—"

Elise planted her hands on her hips and glared up at Corrin, pouting. The stance was meant to be intimidating, but with Corrin, even as short as he is, standing a full two heads above her, the effect was lost on him as he tilted his head.

"Nuh-uh!" Elise said, waggling a finger in front of him. "I'm a healer, and I know my stuff, and my stuff is telling you that you need to have that wound looked at.  _Now_."

Corrin sighed and gave a concerned glance over his shoulder at Azura and Gunter. "How long is it going to take?" he asked Elise.

Elise gently took Corrin's wounded hand and ran a critical eye over it. "How long ago did this happen?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "I'd reckon about three of four minutes ago. Gunter stabbed me in the hand with a letter opener, so—"

"Gunter did  _what?"_

"Not important. Point is, it happened less than fifteen minutes ago," Corrin said. "How long is it going to take for you to heal me?"

Elise poked gingerly at a particularly sensitive spot on Corrin's hand, causing him to wince.

"Well, thankfully, the wound looks clean enough for me to address here, but it's always better safe than sorry, which means you'll have to come with me to the infirmary," she said. "Shouldn't take more than half an hour, since you  _did_  get stabbed in a place where there's a lot of muscles and stuff."

Corrin groaned and looked back at Leo and Azura. "Can we take Gunter to the infirmary with me, instead of…wherever we were going? Actually, where were we going in the first place."

"I thought you'd take him to your study," Leo said, confused.

Corrin and Azura both stared at him.

"Gunter  _jumped_  from the study, Leo," Azura reminded him. "Why would we take him somewhere where he could do the same thing again?"

Leo rubbed his chin. "I suppose you're right. A lack of foresight on my hand, I suppose. But how are we supposed to get Gunter to the infirmary in the first place? There's a literal horde of people outside, asking us what's going on. I doubt they'll just let us through without spreading some kind of rumor."

"That's a risk we'll have to take," Corrin said as Elise tugged him away. "I'd rather have rumors spread around us and have Gunter cured of this 'curse.'"

Leo sighed. "Alright then, but don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

A few minutes later, the group, including Otis, all gathered around Corrin who was sitting in a chair as Elise tended to his hand. Gunter, still wrapped in the binding spell Leo cast on him, was laid gently on the cot next to Corrin, and was now watching all of them cautiously.

"Alright Otis," Corrin said. "Tell us about this 'curse.'"

The older man cleared his throat. "Well, this curse isn't actually a curse. There's no magic behind it, it's all mental."

"Explain," Leo said.

Otis rubbed his hands together as he pulled up another chair. "Well, I don't know too much about this curse. As I've already told you before, only people who have been directly possessed by Anankos but were released by him for some reason, but considering how…unlikely that was, the only reports we have of it came from rumors and whispers spread among us by the other prisons."

"How did you communicate with them?" Leo asked. "We found your group in a  _dungeon._ There was no way you could've sneaked out to arrange a meeting with other Vallites from the other prisons."

Otis raised a finger. "Ah, but that's where you are mistaken, my young prince. No  _Hoshidan_ or  _Nohrian_  could've communicated with the other slaves, but us Vallites are…a  _special_  brand."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked, sitting up.

Otis traced a random pattern on his wrist before answering. "Vallites…always had a special relationship with their god. Anankos, before he went mad, of course, gifted Vallites with the ability to utilize water in…many different ways."

Azura blinked. "Like being able to travel through them?" she asked, causing Corrin and Leo to look at her curiously.

Otis nodded earnestly and leaned forward. "Yes, yes!" he said. "Abilities like that! Vallites were able to transport themselves to any location they wished for, so long as they had enough water and knew enough of the place for them to know the name of. There were other abilities as well, such as being able to use water as a way of communicating with each other, as well as  _very_  subtle manipulation, you see. Of course, Anankos knew all of that, which was why he starved us of water, giving us just enough to survive, but…but whenever one of our own died, we were able to use their portion to talk with one of the other slaves before the guards came to collect the water."

"What did you talk about?" Leo asked.

Otis leaned back and rubbed his chin. "Nothing much," he admitted. "Just making sure the others were alright and such. But one day, one of the other slaves talked about how one of his friends was suffering from what we now call Anankos' Curse."

"What happened?"

Otis closed his eyes as he tried to remember. "He said that his friend was suffering in much the same way as your friend here," he said, gesturing to Gunter, who continued to look fastidiously away from Corrin. "Immense guilt, anxiety, tendency for self-harm. Attempting to take their own life."

Otis drew a sharp breath. "My friend told me that Anankos possessed his friend in order to learn more about some invaders who were intruding on his territory. You see, his friend was part of the Nohrian army and was visiting his mother in Valla when  _he_  came. That's why Anankos chose him. He wanted to learn more about Nohr, and once he learned all that he could, he…just left him." Otis snapped a finger. "Just like that."

"So this former Nohrian soldier was possessed by Anankos, but was released?" Corrin asked. "And he experienced the exact same symptoms as Gunter?"

Otis nodded. "Granted, there were a few differences here and there, but the two cases were mostly the same. Like I said, immense guilt, anxiety, self-harm, and attempts on their own life."

"What happened to him?" Azura asked quietly. "Did he—"

"According to my friend, he died shortly before they were rescued," Otis said regrettably. "But not because of the Curse, no. The Curse, while it can drive those afflicted by it to take their own lives, cannot physically kill its victims like a disease can. My friend's friend died simply because of starvation. Nothing else."

Azura pursed her lips. "I see," she said simply before reseating herself next to Corrin.

"Is there any way for us to treat it?" Corrin asked.

Otis shook his head. "Not that we know of. But then again, we  _were_  imprisoned in Valla for more than a decade. It's very possible Hoshido and Nohr could've developed treatment for the Curse while we were…indisposed."

"Elise?" Corrin asked questioningly.

The blonde looked up, her curls bouncing. "I'm sorry, big bro. I'm a healer, not a therapist. Gunter's condition sounds more mental than physical, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help. Sorry."

Corrin sighed. "Don't worry," he said tiredly. "We'll find a way."

Leo rubbed his chin, deep in thoughts. "Actually, there might be," he said.

Everyone looked at him. Even Gunter glanced at Leo before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

"And…what way is this?" Corrin asked. "What do we need? Is it a type of vulnerary, or—"

"No, no, nothing like that," Leo said, shaking his head. "There's no type of medicine that can treat mental illnesses, unless you count narcotics, but I doubt getting Gunter addicted to those is any better. As if he wanted to take them, anyways."

"Then what type of treatment are you talking about?" Azura asked.

Leo pointed towards Elise. "Remember what she said? She said she's a healer, not a therapist. So, why don't we get Gunter a therapist?" he said. "While Camilla, Elise, and I never had one before, Xander told us about how Garon forced him to take sessions with this one therapist for his depression—"

"Xander has depression?"

" _Had_  depression, Corrin," Leo said. "We don't talk about it much, but yes. Xander did deal with some…very heavy thoughts before in the past. Maybe his therapist is the thing that can help Gunter."

Corrin tried to shoot to his feet before Elise laid a flat palm on his chest and forcefully pushed him back down with a surprising amount of strength and a sassy "Nuh-uh!"

"Where is this therapist?" Corrin asked. "And how fast can he get here?"

Leo rubbed his chin. "Well, last I heard, his business was based in Nohr, but if the situation is  _that_  bad—"

"Of course it's bad!" Corrin interrupted. "Gunter's suffering from an illness that  _nobody_  in this castle can cure! How far away is this therapist, and how fast can he get here?"

"If my memory serves me correctly, he lives in a village near the western border of Nohr," Leo said. "From there to here—or at least where you planned for New Gyges to be set—it should take about two to three months. Max."

"And the minimum?"

"A month and a half." Leo crossed his arms. "You know any sort of travel along The Bottomless Canyon can be dangerous, Corrin. Plus, we're talking about traveling across an entire  _country_. It's not going to be instantaneous."

"Ask Xander for the name of this therapist and explain to him the situation," Corrin ordered. "I want that therapist here before the winter solstice, got it?"

"Er, just one question," Leo said, raising a finger. "We're…you know New Gyges doesn't actually  _exist_  yet in the other world yet, right? We're still stuck in the astral plans, you know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Corrin said, his impatience and wish to get back to work, now not because of getting it done for the sake of getting it done, but because Gunter's wellness now hung in the balance, making him sound more irritated than before. "Don't worry, Leo," he reassured. "Before the end of the week, I'll have all the paperwork done. I promise."

"Don't promise me," Leo scoffed. "Promise yourself. It's your retainer we're talking about here."

Corrin shot a glare at Leo before standing up (with Elise's permission, of course) and standing by Gunter's side.

"Do you hear that, Gunter?" he asked. "Less than two months. Less than two months before we can help you with this…Curse. Just hang in there, alright?"

"Why?" Gunter rasped. "Why do you keep trying to help me?"

"Because you're my friend, and you'll always be important to me," Corrin said gently.

"I tried to kill—"

"I know," Corrin said simply. "I know you tried to kill me, but you didn't. That's what's important. If you want to leave or distance yourself from me, fine. I won't fight against your wishes, but at least gift me the knowledge of knowing that you'll be safe and healthy without me, alright?"

"But—"

Corrin took Gunter's hand and squeezed. "Please?"

Gunter sighed. "You always were stubborn, milord," he said, but with the faintest hint of a smile on his scarred face. "Just…after all this, after you cure me of this damned illness…just leave me be, will you?"

"Gunter—"

"I'm making this request not as a retainer to a king, but as a friend to a friend." Gunter took Corrin's hand in his own, the gnarled, wrinkled hand a stark contrast to Corrin's own pale, slightly callused skin. "If this treatment does work…I think I'll need some time to myself, alright?"

Corrin pursed his lips. "Very well then," he said hesitatingly. "As you wish. Friend…to friend."

* * *

"Corrin?"

Azura gently rapped on the door to Corrin's study, the door already having been replaced with another. Unlike the first door, which was made of oak, this new door was made of birch, the lighter wood in stark contrast to the darker wood splinters scattered across the floor.

"Come in!"

Azura gently pushed the door open to see Corrin setting away the papers that had been blown away by the wind when Gunter pushed open the door leading to the balcony. Azura rose an eyebrow when she saw Jakob and Flora alongside Corrin, helping him pick up the scattered papers and maps.

"Oh, hello Queen Azura," Flora greeted as she set a stack of papers into a filing cabinet besides the bookcase. "We're almost done here, so you two will be able to be alone together soon."

Corrin's head peeked out from behind his desk. "Actually, I think most of my work is back where they were before," he said. "You two can go on ahead. Thanks for the help."

Jakob frowned as he precariously balanced a stack of empty coffee mugs in his arms—the results of Corrin's sleep deprivation. "Are you sure, milord?" he asked. "Surely, there must be something—"

" _Thanks_  for the help," Corrin insisted. He stood up, wiping his hands clean on his trousers. "You two can go. That's an order. Go enjoy your night together or something."

"But—"

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "Good. Night. Jakob."

Jakob sighed. "Very well, then," he said before walking out of the room, Flora in tow.

Before the maid left the room, she paused at the doorway. "I've already organized all of your files by alphabetical order in the filing cabinet, milord," she said. "If there's any problems—"

Corrin waved a hand in a shooing motion. "Yeah, yeah," he said tiredly. "I got it."

Flora tucked her hands in front of her skirt and bowed before leaving, the click of her heels gently echoing down the stairs.

Once she was sure Flora and Jakob were out of earshot, Azura padded over the where Corrin was still crouched behind his desk, muttering to himself as he picked out random papers here and there, only to set them aside. Azura sat herself on Corrin's chair, marveling silently to herself at it's surprising hardness.

"How do you even sit in this thing?" she asked, getting back up. "It's like sitting on a rock, except the rock probably has more curves than your chair."

Corrin blew a strand of white hair out of his eyes as he looked up at Azura. "I don't," he replied. "It's to make sure I don't fall asleep again."

"'Again?'" Azura queried, an eyebrow raised. "Since I forced you to sleep, how many hours of sleep have you gotten so far?"

Corrin shook his head. "First off, is it really forced if, secretly, I wanted to do it? Especially when it involved  _you_  and your bed?"

Azura blushed and looked away, tossing a strand of her hair over her shoulder in mock indignation. "Well,  _excuse_  me for trying to make sure you actually fell asleep," she replied cheekily. "It's not my fault you can't sleep without a woman at my side."

In response, Corrin poked at her in the side, right where she was most ticklish. She yelped and flexed away, only to respond by lightly slapping Corrin on the top of his head. "Corrin!"

"Secondly, I have been going to a reasonable bedtime," Corrin said, rising up. His head easily surpassing hers. "I can sleep just fine on my own without having a beautiful woman by my side, thank you very much. Trust me, you don't need to worry about my sleep schedule."

Azura somehow managed to blush deeper as she sat down in a nearby armchair, the leather  _much_  more comfortable than Corrin's own chair. "'Beautiful?'" she repeated. "Please, Corrin. I admit that I can be many things, but I'm afraid 'beautiful' isn't one of them."

Corrin briskly walked over to her and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Of course not," he replied.

Azura opened her mouth in shock and surprise, but was quickly silenced when Corrin planted another kiss on her lips.

"You're  _perfect,_ " he whispered.

Azura shivered. "I don't think I'm perfect," she mumbled as Corrin pulled away.

" _You_  don't think so, but I do," Corrin replied as he resumed his work. "Just because you feel that you're filled with flaws doesn't mean that it's true."

Azura shook her head as she pushed Corrin away with her foot. "Shush you," she said.

Corrin looked back and stuck his tongue out at her as he knelt down again by his desk. Azura smiled and rested a finger on her chin as she watched Corrin work. There was always something soothing about watching him work, but she didn't know why. It's not like he filed papers any different from herself, but it still soothed the same way it did whenever he smiled at her.

Or when he held her hand. Or complimented her. Or looked at her.

Azura shook her head.  _Get a hold of yourself, woman! He may be your lover, but you're still the future Queen-Consort of Valla!_

"So…" she said.

"So what?" Corrin replied, not looking up from his work.

"How are you feeling?"

Instantly, the mood shifted. Corrin froze for a moment before he continued working.

"Feeling about what?" he asked, his voice as sharp and as clear as glass.

Azura mentally kicked herself.  _What was she thinking?_

She sighed. Well, it's not like they could postpone this talk forever.

"I'm asking how you're feeling about Gunter," she said bluntly. "Especially since with, you know, his whole suicide attempt and—"

"Let's  _not_  use the word suicide," Corrin said. "He was…just trying out a desperate solution."

Azura nodded slowly. "If you say so," she said.

Corrin continued working in silence, with Azura watching equally as quiet. Finally, Corrin broke the silence by saying, "If you want to know, the answer is not good."

He stood up and turned to face her, leaning back against his desk as he tapped out a convoluted rhythm with his fingers. "He tried to  _kill_  himself, Azura," he said, leading forward. "How am I supposed to feel about one of my closest allies trying to end their own lives?"

"Corrin—"

"I mean, like, I get how he tried to kill us and all, but seeing Gunter act like that is…hard" Corrin continued. "Especially when you realize that literally the entire reason why I'm the person I am today is because of him!"

"Corrin—"

"And that whole thing about 'Anankos' Curse?' It sounded a lot like that thing you said I had back in Valla, when we were resting at the fort. What did you say it was called?"

"Survivor's guilt, but Corrin, listen to me—"

Corrin gestured wildly towards her. "Survivors guilt! That's the name! I had those same feelings of immense guilt after Scarlet was killed trying to protect me, but I never tried to end myself! So why is Gunter—"

"Corrin!"

Corrin flinched as he realized how Azura had to  _shout_ to get his attention, something that had only happened twice since they met by the lake, so long ago.

"S-sorry," he apologized. "I sort of got caught up, didn't I?"

Azura huffed. "You think?"

She stood up and walked over to him. Corrin looked away from her as she took his head in her hands and pressed him against her stomach. She gently stroked his cheek as she ran her other hand through Corrin's hair.

"Yes, you may have felt the same as Gunter during that day, but you also don't know what other feelings he may be experiencing," she murmured. "Just because the two of you experienced guilt for your past actions or inactions does not mean you two are feeling the exact same emotions. You felt guilt because Scarlet died trying to protect you, and you were unable to do anything. Gunter felt guilty because he realized that he set everything on the line for an old grudge, which meant he put  _you_  in danger. As your unofficial adoptive father, of course he would hate himself for that. No parent, adoptive or not, should have to watch their child suffer because of their past."

Corrin said something, his voice muffled by her stomach. Azura loosened her hold on Corrin's head enough for him to pull back.

"But why did he have to try and take his own life?" he asked. "Why couldn't we just have talked it out?"

"Oh, Corrin…"

Azura tightened her hold again on Corrin's head. He fought for a second before allowing himself to go limp, his head rested against Azura's stomach, which rose and fell with each breath she took.

"Sometimes…people just can't live with their feelings," she said slowly, carefully picking out each word. "I…if words could solve everything, there would be no war, but unfortunately, that's simply not the case. I know how we always cheered each other up by talking to each other about our problems, but Gunter is…different. He's seen too many things—done too many things—for him to simply 'talk it out' with a friend. I can't speak for him, but…but I guess he just thought that it would be easier to die than it would be to deal with the guilt and emotions that came with betraying you."

"If we can't help Gunter by talking, then how is that therapist going to help?" he asked, voice muffled. "How is what that therapist going to do any different than from how you helped me?"

"Because…I don't know," Azura admitted. "I…I never dealt with thoughts as strong as Gunter's, and I never saw a therapist besides the time Mikoto thought I wasn't eating because I was 'too skinny' when I was fourteen. Turns out I just had—and still have—a really fast metabolism."

"Ha…ha," Corrin said weakly. "So that's why you always eat so much. But how is that therapist going to help?"

Azura simply stroked Corrin's head again, marveling at the softness of his hair. "He's…going to talk to Gunter. Remind him of the things worth living for, all the good he's done before in the past and tell him of all the good he could do in the future. Besides that…I don't know. We'd just have to hope and see."

Corrin hummed deep in his chest, causing Azura to look down in surprise before resuming stroking his head. The hum, Azura learned, was Corrin's own unique, draconic way of telling her that though he accepted her words, there was still something bothering him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, pausing her petting for a moment.

"Nothing," came the reply.

Azura pinched the tip of Corrin's ears, but not  _too_  hard. Turns out the pointed ends of Corrin's ears were a lot more sensitive than a human's.

Corrin flinched and flexed away, rubbing the mark with a hand. "Hey!" he protested. "What was that for?"

Azura said nothing but crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow. She tapped a foot.

Corrin sighed. "Alright, alright," he said, caving under Azura's gaze. "I was just worried about…about the Vallites finding out about me and Lilith."

"Lilith?"

"Remember what Laslow, Odin, and Selena told us?" Corrin asked. "They said that Lilith was Anankos' right-hand woman, the one responsible for torturing the slaves. I doubt that they won't hold any grudges towards her, but not holding any grudges towards dragons as a whole? That's…"

"Impossible," Azura finished. "And I agree. I know that you're afraid the Vallites will reject you because of your draconic counterpart, but I'm afraid the only way to deal with that problem is by being earnest as a human."

"Earnest…?"

"Doing everything you can as a human to make yourself seem as helpful and kind as the rumors say," Azura said. "You  _are_  helpful and kind, but the way the rumors make you out to be makes you look like a saint."

Corrin's lips curl in distaste. While he was comfortable being looked at as a leader, he never wanted to be looked as a  _god_. Gods know how many gods are also dragons.

"A saint?" he repeated.

Azura nodded. "If you act kind towards everyone, when the secret gets out, people will be less likely to denounce you as being a dangerous beast whose bloodlust knows no bounds—," Corrin cringed at her choice of words, "—and more likely to see you as somebody who sacrificed so much to help them."

"But what if what happened to Anankos happens to me?" he whispered, and in that moment, Azura could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes.

The sight caused her heart to lurch. She had only seen that look once before, and it nearly broke her the first time.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, didn't Anankos go mad because his people betrayed him?" Corrin asked. "What if the Vallites betray us? What if what happened to Anankos happens to me?"

Azura's heart lurched again. "Are…are you talking about the time…"

Corrin nodded. "Yes."

They both knew what Corrin was talking about. Azura's hand moved unconsciously to her neck and collarbone as the memory of a dragon appearing for the first time in centuries moved to the forefront of her mind. Mirroring Azura's own action, Corrin stuck a hand down his tunic to rub his dragonstone, feeling how the power contained within such a tiny stone pulsed and writhed, desperate for release.

Azura silently gritted her teeth to prevent a yelp of pain from escaping her lips as she felt a  _claw_  poke her back. She looked down and was concerned to see Corrin's blank, empty stare into nothing.

"Corrin," she said. "Corrin?"

Corrin blinked and shook his head. Behind her, a flash of light appeared as Corrin's hand transformed back into its human counterpart.

"Yes? What's wrong?"

Azura's hand went to her back, where the claw had touched her. To her concern, the cloth was torn, though there appeared to be no breach in her skin.

"You…you partially transformed again."

"Oh."

Corrin bowed his head, looking down at his feet. His hands nervously clasped around each other.

"I'm scared," he finally admitted after a moment's silence. "Scared that what happened to Anankos will happen to me. I mean, what if I go mad, like he did? You saw what he was capable of! The world can't handle another Anankos. Not again!"

"It won't happen again because you're  _not_  Anankos," Azura said. "You may be his son, but Anankos was never truly loved by his people. They were grateful to him for creating a home for them, but they didn't  _love_  him the same way the Vallites and I love you."

Corrin chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, please," he said dryly. "I haven't even talked with any of the Vallites yet except for Otis, and that was only so he could tell us what Gunter was suffering from."

"You talk to me," Azura deadpanned.

"That's different."

Corrin sighed again as pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sure, I may never become as evil as Anankos, but that doesn't mean I won't become as mad as him."

"You  _won't_ ," Azura insisted. "You won't go mad because you'll always have my love and support for you to bring you back. That's what my song is for, isn't it?"

Corrin scowled. Ever since Anankos' death, he'd been uneasy about Azura's insistence on keeping her pendant.

* * *

" _It's a reminder of your curse!" he had said. "Why would you ever want to keep something that would hurt you as much as it hurts me?"_

" _It's not supposed to hurt you," she replied dryly. "It's supposed to help you."_

" _Yes, but at what cost?"_

* * *

"Corrin? Corrin, your hand transformed again."

Corrin blinked and hastily corrected his mistake. "Sorry," he apologized. "Just getting…caught up in some old memories."

Azura sighed. "Is it about my pendant?" she asked.

Corrin nodded.

Azura sighed again. "Corrin, I already told you, I don't keep it so I can hurt you, I keep it so—"

"I know what you keep it for," Corrin interrupted. "I just wished you didn't have to hurt yourself every time you sang that song."

"It hasn't been hurting me since Anankos' death," she said.

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "How do you know? Have you been singing it?"

"I used it to help wash a spoon," she said flatly, staring at Corrin in the eyes. "It didn't hurt me then, and it won't hurt me later. Plus, it's not as if I'm willing to use it. I only wear it so people don't doubt the fact that I'm royalty, not because I'm a masochist."

Corrin averted his eyes before returning his head to the position of Azura's stomach. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just got…overprotective for a second there, I guess."

Azura smiled and resumed her stroking. "Yes, well, lucky for you, it's your over-protectiveness that I find so charming."

Corrin hummed again in his chest, though unlike the first type of hum, this one was more human, a sign that Corrin was content. At least for the time being.

"Thank you," he said, his voice husky and raspy. "Thank you so much. You have no idea what your words mean to me."

Azura simply smiled. "Of course, Corrin. We are, after all, two halves of a whole."


	11. Interlude: A Stewing Situation

"Corrin, you said that you never talked to the Vallites?"

Corrin looked up from his desk at Azura. "Sorry, what was the question again?"

Azura set down the picture she was holding back on the bookcase. Ever since she returned from Valla, she had been helping the newly rescued Vallite slaves adjust to their new life, a life of freedom.

But with Corrin constantly being tucked away so he could finish the paperwork needed for New Valla, and Azura constantly being pulled away to help her people settle in, it meant the two royals had little time for each other. Thus, Azura began spending more and more of her free time in Corrin's study, usually doing nothing except for simply enjoying his presence.

Corrin, on the other hand, appreciated these little breaks for the monotonous lines of texts he had to read through every minute for the past four days. Four days ago, Gunter had tried to take his own life, and he had been planning on working himself to the bone so that the therapist Leo said could help Gunter could actually  _find_  New Gyges, considering the fact that it didn't exist yet in the real world.

(It technically did, but Lilith had explained that to him  _long_  ago.)

Thus, Corrin promised himself to finish  _all_  of the paperwork before the end of the week, a daunting task for even the most hardened of scholars or government officials, yet Corrin had to it with gusto. Unfortunately, that also meant he was slowly becoming more and more of a recluse to the newly rescued Vallites, who were all curious to see their king in the flesh for once, and not in rumors or passing glances whenever he ventured out of his study for a quick trip to the lavatory.

"I said," Azura repeated, "Have you ever talked with the Vallites before? You know, your own people? The people that you're supposed to lead?"

"I thought you were supposed to lead them?" Corrin asked quizzingly. "You know, what with being their queen and all."

Azura frowned. "I thought we agreed that  _you'd_  become the King-Regent, the one who's supposed to be giving all the speeches while I do all the behind-the-scenes stuff as the Queen-Consort?"

Corrin idly scratched his head with the back of a pen. "Oh yeah, huh. Guess I forgot about that for a second."

Azura planted her hands on her hips and stared at Corrin unimpressed. "You know, royalty is supposed to have at least two retainers and a steward, right? You know, the ones  _responsible for doing the paperwork for them?_ "

Corrin nodded disinterestedly. "Uh-huh, yeah. Say, Azura. Do you know what a 'steward' is? I know Lilith is my attendant, and she's basically responsible for doing things like cooking meals, cleaning clothes, carrying messages—you know, stuff Flora also does—but what's a steward? I'm trying to think back to my lesson on castle positions and I can't seem to find what a steward is."

Azura sighed in exasperation before she walked over and forcefully pulled Corrin out of his chair and dragged him towards the door.

" _That's_  what we're going to find right now," she said, grunting as she pulled Corrin.

Corrin stumbled, caught off-guard by her sudden aggressive. "H-hey! What gives?" he protested. "Did I say something wrong?"

Azura rolled her eyes. "No, but you didn't say something right either."

* * *

"Where are we going?"

" _You're_  going to talk to the Vallites and see if any of them are fit to become your new steward," she replied.

"What's a steward?"

"You'll see."

"But…why do I need a steward again?"

" _Because_ , Corrin, unless you plan to spend the rest of your life as King-Regent of Valla doing paperwork and not sleeping, you're going to need somebody to help you manage the trivial stuff."

"Yeah, I get that part, but why do  _I_  of all people need a steward? I get they help with the small stuff, but why can't you do it? I mean, isn't the entire job of a Queen-Consort to deal with the small stuff?"

Azura socked Corrin in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"As much as I love you, Corrin, I am  _not_  going to spend the rest of my time as Queen-Consort doing what you were basically doing these last two weeks: doing paperwork all day with no time to yourself, unable to do breaks, and getting less than four hours of sleep every day!"

Corrin gingerly rubbed the burgeoning bruise near his right elbow. "I guess that makes sense," he said. "But why does my steward need to be of Vallite blood?"

Azura pushed a strand of hair out of her face using her breath. "Because, save for Kaze, all of your attendants and retainers are Nohrian. Sure, you may  _seem_ closer with your Hoshidan siblings—"

"But I'm not though! Not saying I don't love them—I do—but I feel like I can connect  _just a tad_  easier with Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise compared to Ryoma, Takumi, Sakura, and Hinoka."

"That's why I said ' _seem,'_  Corrin," Azura said. "If New Valla is going to be the place where old differences and grudges are set aside, you're going to need some racial diversity in your stands."

"But I'm perfectly happy with my current servants and retainers though! Silas, Flora, Felicia, and Jakob have been nothing but perfect recently! I can't just get rid of them!"

"Yes, I know, Corrin," Azura said exasperatingly. "I'm not telling you to let them go. I'm just telling you that if you want to keep up the appearance of being impartial between Hoshido and Nohr, you're going to need a bit of racial diversity among your staff."

"But I'm more used to having Nohrian staff!" Corrin whined.

"Stop whining," Azura scolded. "Trust me, Nohrians put too much effort into being perfect first try, but only for one specific task or role. Look at the twins! Felicia's a prodigy when it comes to being a maid, but Flora can easily wipe the floor with her when it comes to fighting!"

"You're getting the two of them mixed up, Azura.  _Flora_  is the prodigy at…maid-ness, but Felicia's the one you want on the battlefield. Wh—how d-did you even mix them up? Flora has blue hair and Felicia has pink, for gods' sake! Mixing them up is like mistaking Ryoma for Takumi!"

"It happens to the best of us!" Azura retorted, looking away and obscuring her face with her hair to hide the flush that arose with her mistake. "All I'm saying, Nohrian servants tend to focus too much on one role. Hoshidan ones prefer to their best in all areas, but if my memory serves me correctly, Vallite servants are the perfect combination of both. Perfect in every area."

"You sound like you're being a little bit biased, Azura."

"I am not!"

"…Yes, you are."

Azura pouted and crossed her arms. "Well, if you think I'm being biased, then why are all of your servants Nohrians?"

Corrin chuckled and rose his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, Azura," he said placatingly. "You win. I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up before. It's kind of cute, actually."

"Stop complimenting me."

"You are though!"

Azura  _hmphed_  and turned away, but only so Corrin couldn't see the broad smile on her face. He knew, however, based on the gentle shoulder bump he gave her as they walked outside the main hall to where a sea of tents housed the entirety of the Vallite population.

Azura's tightened at the sight of seeing how few of her people survived. Roughly five hundred or so tents were sprawled before her. The entire city of tents fit snugly within the castle courtyard, and with plenty of room to spare too. All the empty space, however, reminded Azura of how few people survived The Decimation.

Sensing her heightened anxiety, Corrin laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he murmured. "It's alright. We tried to save as many as we could."

"I know," she replied, laying her own hand on top of his and turning to look at him. "It's just…so  _jarring_  to see my entire people contained  _one_  castle courtyard, you know?"

Corrin squeezed her shoulder. "I know," he said quietly. "I feel the same way too, but what's important right now is the fact that we saved all of them. They're all safe now, which means we can rest easy now. At long last…"

Azura chuckled humorlessly. "Who said anything our rest is going to be easy?" she said snarkily. "We still have to serve as the King and Queen of Valla, don't we?"

"Maybe," Corrin said, looking out towards the tents.

The "sun" in the astral planes had set roughly an hour or so ago, which meant people were getting ready for bed, the night sentinels already manning the battlements and patrols already patrolling. It was quite a sight, to see the violet night sky contrasting the orange light from the torch flames, the almost-blue castle walls in the dark contrasting the tan of the tents.

It was…soothing in a way. Maybe in another life, another world, this would've been a more familiar view for Corrin, but since only his elite personal guard and a few others were allowed access to the astral plane, they had mostly used the quarters already built within the castle. That was why Azura had her own room instead of sleeping in a tent like they would have had if the castle was fully manned.

Which it was now. Basically.

"Either way, I don't plan for my term as the King of Valla to be a tumultuous one," Corrin continued. "So maybe we  _should_  get a steward…"

Azura laughed breezily. "Oh, so  _now_  you want a steward?" she asked lightly.

Corrin said nothing but cocked an eyebrow smarmily as he looked down at her. "I always wanted one," he replied. "I just…didn't know if I needed one."

Azura laughed again and gently pushed Corrin away. "Oh, come on, you. Let's go meet our first applicant."

The smile faded from Corrin's face as he followed her down the dais steps leading into the tent city. "Wait, how did you find this 'applicant?' What's his name?"

"Why do you have to assume that your new steward—or rather your future steward—is male?"

"Or her," Corrin added hastily. "Yeah, a woman could be my steward. Do you know her name?"

"Why?" Azura asked cheekily. "Are you saying something about me?"

The tips of Corrin's ear turned a scarlet red as he realized the hidden meaning behind Azura's words.

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant, er, but—"

Azura laughed again, the third time in as many minutes. "I'm just poking fun at you Corrin. Your future steward is male, and as for his name…well, let's just say you can figure it out  _real_ quick. If not, I'm afraid you'll need a sharp blow to the head to fix your eyesight."

Corrin laughed nervously. "Haha, yes, well, where is he now?"

"Right here," Azura said as she stopped in front of a tent.

The tent looked the same as all the other tents, so Corrin wasn't sure how Azura knew the tent she was looking for was  _this_  particular tent.

"You sure?" he asked as he prepared to knock on the wooden pole in front of the tent. "I don't want to wake some poor soul up."

"Trust me, this is the one," Azura said, stepping back.

Corrin frowned at the sudden distance between himself and Azura. "Er, Azura?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any reason why you're standing so far—"

"Ah! Visitors!"

Corrin lurched backwards as the tent flap burst open, revealing nobody other than…

"Otis?"

The old man bowed low to the floor, his ponytail falling past his head. "Ah, please forgive me for startling you like that, milord. It's just that I've been dying to meet you ever since Queen Azura told me about you!"

Azura's gentle smiled shrank by a few centimeters at the title of  _Queen Azura_. "Please, Otis. Just call me Azura. I'm fine being addressed so casually."

"Yes, but you're also the Vallite people's princess!" Otis said, spreading his hand apart. "Not saying  _you_  aren't important," he said to Corrin, "you are, but you're not as…well, how do I put this? Ah, people just don't  _know_  you as well as Que—er, is  _Lady_  Azura fine?

Azura nodded.

Otis smiled and clapped his hands together. "Ah yes, what was I saying? Oh, yes, while our people adore you and respect you just as much as our long-lost princess here, we…don't know you as well as Lady Azura, which is quite surprising, considering how…reserved she can be sometimes."

Corrin glanced at Azura, who gave him a  _told you so_  glance in return.

"You met with them before?" he mouthed.

Azura smiled and nodded. "Of course," she said. "They're my people, aren't they? I have to  _know_  my people to succeed as queen, right?"

Corrin chuckled ruefully and shook his head. "And here I was, thinking you would be the shy one between the two of us," he said.

"Well, in all fairness, Corrin,  _somebody_  had to get the Vallites settled in, and it  _definitely_ wasn't going to be you with the amount of work you had to do," she said. "Speaking of which, Otis—"

The old man snapped to attention, complete with the Vallite salute. "Yes, milady?"

"You…received our 'invitation,' haven't you?"

Otis nodded and pulled out a letter with a red wax seal broken on it. "Of course!" he replied. "What kind of steward would I be if I didn't read milady's own official decree?"

"Hold on," Corrin said. "This whole operation is your idea, isn't it, Azura?"

Azura said nothing but merely smiled and looked away. Otis looked between the two of them, first with confusion, then with something that sounded like nostalgia.

"Ah, young love," he said. "How I've missed you…"

Snapping to attention once more, Otis straightened out and stuck a hand out. "Well, Lady Azura quote-on-quote 'interviewed' me earlier today, and she deemed me worthy of the position of steward to the future King-Consort of Valla. I must say, milord, I've heard plenty of rumors of you, both good and…good but not-as-good, but I do look forward to working closely with you in the future."

Corrin crossed his arms. "Well, without sounding  _too_  presumptuous, isn't that for me to judge?"

Otis blinked in surprise before retracting his hand. "Ah, yes," he said, tapping his chin. "I suppose that is true."

Corrin smiled and gently laid a hand on Otis' shoulder. "Don't worry. You don't need to be worried about anything. If Azura feels you're a good candidate for being my future steward, who am I to judge her choice? I just want to know you better, since, you know, I haven't really talked with any of the Vallites before."

Otis sagged in relief. "Oh! I see, I see. Well, in that case…"

Otis swept open the flap to his tent and bowed as if he was holding open the door to some fancy restaurant instead of a cloth tent. "In that case, perhaps we should take this conversation inside? Not trying to brag or anything, but this old man has seen…quite a few things. I would like nothing more than to share them with you."

Corrin smiled. "It would be a pleasure."

* * *

Inside the tent, Otis hastily poured some kind of tea for Corrin and Azura, who were "asked" to sit on a pair of chairs Otis pulled out from under his bed.

Corrin curiously smelled the cup of steaming liquid in his hands and widened his eyes in pleasure and surprise. He quickly took a sip, relishing how the liquid tasted.

"Wow!" he said. "I don't think I've ever drank any kind of tea this good before!"

Otis chuckled. "Ah, yes, well, that's the jasmine for you. I never really liked how scalding Nohrian beverages can be sometimes, so I've always been more of a supporter of tea over coffee," he said.

"Is this your favorite kind of tea?" Corrin asked.

Otis nodded thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, it is! I don't know why, exactly, but something about the smell and taste makes me feel…free, inside. Well, more free than usual. I hope you understand why."

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Does it have something to do with your imprisonment?" he asked.

Otis' smile shrank by a few molars. "Well, as a matter of fact…yes. It does."

Azura slapped Corrin on the arm. "Corrin!"

Corrin ruefully rubbed the reddening mark. "Sorry," he apologized. "I wasn't trying to stir up any bad memories or anything."

Otis shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, think nothing of it, milord. As much as I hated it at the time, I think my time being imprisoned under Anankos gave me a little…perspective on things."

Corrin gently set his teacup down and leaned forward, his hands on his knees. "Oh?"

Otis pulled up another chair and sat down. "Well, you see," he said, "Long ago, before Anankos attacked, I was a bit…reckless. You know, running around, doing whatever I wanted. I was at the peak of my prime! But when Anankos came, and started rounding us up, I was basically made into the spokesman for my group of survivors simply because in my youth, I served as King Theophilus' retainer."

"King Theophilus?" Corrin asked. "Isn't that your father, Azura?"

Azura nodded. "That was part of the reason why I wanted you to take on Otis as a steward. Not only was he somebody my father trusted in his life, but considering the role and responsibilities he had to take upon being 'promoted' to the position of being the spokesman for the Vallite slaves, I thought he would be a wise choice for a steward."

Corrin rubbed his chin. "Hmm. Well, how about we get started with the rudimentary things, Otis?"

Otis nodded earnestly. "Of course, milord! Anything you want to know about me, it's all on the table."

"Alright then," Corrin said. "First off then, what makes you think you'll be good fit for this role…"

* * *

"I hope my answers were able to dissuade your doubts, milord!" Otis called after them as Corrin and Azura departed his tent.

"Don't worry, they did!" Corrin replied. "Like I said, if Azura thought you were a good choice, chances are that she's probably right. I simply wanted to get to know you better. After all, you'll be acting as liaison between us and the rest of the Vallites, are you not?"

Otis nodded. "Of course, milord! If you want, I can procure a resume of sorts for you to go over so you can get a better grasp of my abilities."

Corrin shook his head. "Nah, it's good," he said. "No offense, Otis, I already have enough paper as it is. I'll take your word for it regarding your capabilities."

Otis nodded again. "Very well then, milord! Have a good night!"

"And good night to you too," Corrin replied as he and Azura climbed the dais steps leading into the main hall of the castle.

"That wasn't too bad, now was it?" Corrin asked.

Azura hummed absentmindedly and nodded. "In all honesty, I thought you would've been a bit more…hesitant about my choice."

Corrin gently bumped her with his shoulder. "I already said it like, three times in there, Azura. If  _you_  think somebody's a good choice for being my future steward, chances are you're probably right."

"That's a high opinion you have of me," Azura noted dryly.

Corrin bumped her again. "Of course!" he said. "I mean, it's not like that's how you got me signed up in this whole thing in the first place."

"What do you mean?" she said, frowning.

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Don't you remember? You told me all about Valla and your history, and I believed it. Turns out It was a good thing I did, huh?"

Azura pursed her lips. "Ah, yes, well, I suppose that is true."

They continued walking together in silence, Azura's long, slender fingers curled around Corrin's calloused, warm ones.

Finally, Azura broke the silence by asking, "So what do you feel about Otis?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you like him as a person? His personality?"

Corrin scratched the back of his head. "He sure does seem…excitable at first, but in a weird way, I'm fine with that. No offense to you or the rest of my siblings, Azura, but all of you can be so serious and moody all the time. It's always work, work, and work with you guys. Having somebody as colorful as Otis is…a good way to brighten up my day."

"What about his abilities then?" Azura asked. "Do you honestly think he'll be able to measure up to your standards?"

Corrin snorted. "Oh yeah, please, no, from what he told me about himself, if anything, he's  _overqualified_  for the position. There's just so many things he can do, I'm surprised he's content to remain a servant. A glorified servant, yes, but still a servant."

Azura entwined her arm around Corrin's, drawing him close to her. "Yes, well, some people are just  _that_  dedicated to others," she said. Then, purposely fluttering her eyelashes, she asked, "Corrin, would you like to spend the rest of the night with me?"

"Can't," Corrin replied, oblivious to her advances. "I still need to finish all the paperwork you dragged me away from today, but if you want to stay, you can."

Azura frowned, clearly upset at being rebuffed. Corrin noticed her pout and stopped.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Nothing's wrong."

Corrin sighed and gently took her chin in his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Azura," he murmured. "I know that you the fact that we don't spend as much time together as we did during the war, but trust me, at the end of the week, if I can finish all my work by then, I'll treat you to the most renowned restaurant in Cyrkensia, alright?"

"I don't need you to take me to some fancy dinner just to make me happy," Azura said. "I'm just afraid that you push yourself too hard."

Corrin frowned and let his hand fall away from Azura's face. "What do you mean?"

"Every single time I visit you, you're doing work!" she said. "I appreciate you trying to help my people, I really do, but I also appreciate spending time with you that doesn't involve one-word answers from you!"

"Azura…"

"You know how hard it is to see you work yourself to the bone?" Azura continued. "Every single time you sleep, it's only because I drag you away! You can't keep doing this, Corrin, because  _I_  can't keep doing this!"

Corrin sighed and quietly wrapped Azura in a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I hate not being able to spend time with you too, but I need to make sure all the paperwork is in order so that when Lilith transports the castle back into our world, there won't be any problems with the nearby Hoshidan or Nohrian nobles. I only need to keep this up for one or two more days, max, and then I'll be done, okay?"

Azura buried her face in Corrin's chest and tightened her grip on him. "I know," she mumbled. "I know you want to make sure everything's in order so that the therapist that's supposed to help Gunter won't have a problem trying to find a castle, but can't you at least take a break every so often?"

"I do," Corrin replied. "Sometimes, I lean back in my chair and stretch for a few seconds for going back to my work, other times I just take a drink or use the lavatory—"

"That's not the kind of break I was talking about!" Azura said, gently pounding on Corrin's chest. "I'm talking about the kind of break where you get out of that damned study of yours, walk outside, and talk with a few people! Taking a sip of tea after working for three hours straight isn't a break! That's just—"

Corrin silenced her again by pressing another kiss to her head. "I'll try, then," he said. "I promise. Like I said: one or two more days of this level of focus, and we can spend as much time together as you want one the last day of the week."

"And then you'll just go back to doing the same cycle over again, huh?" Azura asked cynically.

Corrin shook his head. "What? No! By the end of this week, we'll be back in our world! Plus, once that happens, then Otis is going to be officially sworn in as the official steward of Valla, which means we'll be able to spend more time together. I promise!"

Azura turned her head so her left ear was pressed over Corrin's heart. "If you say so," she said, tightening her grip on Corrin even more.


	12. Chapter 12

Finally, as Corrin promised, after a week of paperwork, ensuring that all the legislation that can be done is finished, the time comes for Lilith to transport the castle from the astral plane to the rest of the world. Lilith asks them, in her own gentle way, to gather in front of her shrine besides the raised dais leading to the the castle's main hall.

Though Corrin had made sure to keep his emotions in check as Lilith softly relayed her instructions to them, he couldn't help but twitch his ears as the words  _Lilith is your sister_  ran through his head.

Lilith didn't seem to notice Corrin's sudden aloofness towards her, but Azura did. As they stood in front of the little building, listening to the sounds of the nearby spring running along, she quietly approached him.

"Corrin?" she called.

Corrin turned from where he was gazing intently at the stone statue carved in Lilith's likeness. "Yes?" he replied questioningly.

Azura glanced behind herself to make sure no one else was around them. Save for their siblings, sans Ryoma and Xander, who decided to travel back to their world with Lilith's help in order to facilitate a few things, the courtyard was mostly empty. There were still a great deal of things needed to be done, and according to Lilith, transporting them back to their world shouldn't take very long, so Corrin neglected to organize a huge, lavish ceremony.

Besides the royals and a couple of their retainers, Otis stood silently on the opposite side of the doorway leading in the shrine, gazing thoughtfully at the statue of Lilith. Azura couldn't tell what he was thinking—a common trait among Vallites, she guessed—but judging by the reflective look in his eyes as he ran a critical eye over the stone, she knew he was more focused on the art than on the two of them.

Azura stepped closer to Corrin so that their words could pass undisturbed between them. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "I mean, I don't have to stay up every night now, which is what you wanted, right? So I guess that's pretty good. Plus, we finally get to see the fruits of our efforts, right?"

"I'm not talking about what you feel about finishing all your work," Azura said. "I'm talking about how you feel about  _her._ " She gestured towards the statue of Lilith.

"You've been awfully distant from her, Corrin," she said. "Even  _I_  can see that, so I'm worried about how you're going to deal with her."

Corrin blinked. "'Deal with her?'" he asked. "You're making me sound like I'm going to imprison her or something!"

Azura stepped back and crossed her arms. "Well, what  _are_  you going to do about her, then?" she asked.

Corrin shook his head, idly running a finger through his hair. "Azura, the only reason why I'm staying away from Lilith is because I'm not sure how  _she's_  going to respond once she figures out what I know about her. I still trust her, and even though I know how she was one of Anankos' servants, I would still protect her as if she was my sister…which I guess she is, but you know what I mean! I'm just worried about how  _she's_  going to react when she—"

"Lord Corrin?"

Corrin and Azura both flinched visibly and stepped back from each other, Azura fiddling nervously with her hair and Corrin bashfully rubbing his arm. Lilith towards them, her large golden eyes darting everywhere, as if she was nervous.

"Lord Corrin?" she repeated. "Everything is ready."

Corrin nodded. He glanced at Azura, his eyes saying  _We'll talk this out later_ , before turning his attention back on Lilith.

"Good," he said. "You can start whenever you want."

Lilith bowed her head. Corrin and Azura both widened their eyes in surprise and stepped back as the crystal ball, the one that Lilith always held in her paws, floated away from her, revealing Lilith's scaly red belly. Lilith smiled as she caught the look of surprise on Corrin and Azura's faces.

"You…you aren't attached to it?" Corrin asked.

"Of course not," Lilith said. "How else could I sleep if I'm always holding that orb?"

Corrin gawked at her for a few more seconds but shaking his head and clearing his throat. "Well, let's get on with it then," he said.

Lilith nodded and closed her eyes. Pressing her nose to the now-floating crystal ball, she says, loud and clear, "My kin, my blood, my gods…my friends…You have been most gracious to allow us to stay in the astral realm, but now I came before you to ask for one final favor. I ask that you return to us what was taken so long ago. Great Moro, I beseech you to right the wrongs taken in the First War, oh so long ago. Deliver this castle back to where it belongs, and us safely alongside it. Oh Great Moro…"

As Lilith continued speaking, rain started to fall. Corrin looked up to feel the plops of water falling on his face, and Azura's eyes widened in surprise and pleasure at the feel of the raindrops upon her skin.

Everyone else in the courtyard stopped what they were doing and looked up in surprise, some standing stock still with their jaws agape, others shrieking and running for shelter.

"It's working…" he said quietly to himself.

Corrin looked at Azura as she pulled at his sleeve. "What?" he asked.

She said nothing but instead pointed to the patch of air above Lilith and the crystal. Corrin squinted his eyes, flopping his now-white hair away from his eyes as he saw… _something_.

Thirty feet above them, he saw a disturbance among the falling rain, as if an ivisible object occupied the same space. The disturbance spread, extending all the way to the floor, and the void outlined by the water assumed the shape of a creature with the body of a horse with a antlers of a deer. Thin, needle-sharp rays of watery light radiated outward from the shape, and there appeared the image of a gigantic, twisting dragon.

As he noticed those details, Corrin also became aware of the feeling of his skin prickling against his will, and a cold shiver ran down him. He did not now know what he felt, but feat gripped him for a split-second, and he looked at Azura for comfort. She was staring at the shape, her golden eyes sparkling with an unusual intensity.

In a single, fluid motion, Lilith gently floated to the ground, her paws padding on the grass. She bowed her head close to the ground, her eyes closed reverentially.

Without thinking, he did the same as Lilith, dropping to his knees and bowing his head.

Moro spoke then, and his voice sounded like the grinding of boulders and the sweep of the wind over barren mountain peaks and the slap of waves against a stony shore. He spoke in the dragon tongue, and such was the power of his words that despite knowing Corrin knowing that Moro was speaking in his counterpart's ancient tongue, he couldn't comprehend the god's rumbling words, and he shrank from the power of the god's speech.

Three times the god questioned Lilith, and thee times Lilith replied, her voice faint and meek in comparison. Apparently pleased with Lilith's answers, the dragon coiled itself up and looked up at the sky, drawing everyone's gaze.

The air between the god's antlers rippled with an unimaginable amount of power. Everyone looked up in shock as the sky rippled, as if it was the underside of an unimaginably large pond or lake.

Then spiderweb cracks across the sky, and with the sound of shattering glass, waves pounding an unforgiving cliffside, and mountains clashing, it shattered.

Corrin squeezed his eyes shut as a blinding flash explodes across the sky. In his blindness, he instinctively raises an arm to protect his face, expecting the shards to fall from the sky. His other arm groped blindly for Azura, to make sure she's safe. His fingertips manage to touch the frill of her gloves, and he latches onto it, pulling her close to him and twisting so that he was covering her body with his own.

Flecks of the sky rained down around them, the shards falling in conjunction with the raindrops. The shards shattered into nothingness as they fell on his skin and armor, with a sound akin to pottery.

As soon as the sounds of the shards stopped falling, Corrin tentatively cracked his eyes open. Azura was already looking around from beneath Corrin, clutching tightly to his arm around her chest.

The air doesn't feel stale and stuffy anymore. The sunlight in the astral plane had been replaced by dark, gray storm clouds rolling overhead. The rain fell even greater here than in the astral plane, the water coming down on them in thick sheets.

Thunder booms in the distance, and lightning flashes, and Corrin instantly knew Moro had followed through. While Lilith could make it rain in the astral plane, it never poured as hard as it did in the real world, and there was never thunder or lightning.

The rest of their siblings and retainers had all vanished, with only the ends of Elise's blonde curls ducking into the castle's main hall being the only sign they had ever existed in the first place. Otis, however, remained outside with them, his pale face slowly turning into a shade of red Corrin had never seen before on the older man, but he ignored the sight as he felt Azura trying to pull away from him.

"Sorry," he apologized, loosening his hold on her.

Azura smoothened out the front of her dress and adjusted her pendant so that it was sitting neatly in the middle of her chest again, between her breasts. "It's fine," she breathed. "Just next time, when you hold a woman, make you  _don't_  grab her across her breasts."

Corrin felt his face burn. "Sorry," he said again.

He looked around himself. The light had vanished, and with it, Moro's…form? Avatar? Corrin wasn't sure what to call it, but he blinks in shock at the sight of a young, blue-haired woman kneeling in the wet dirt, oblivious to the brown staining the white of her skirt.

"Moro?" Lilith whispers before a shout cuts her off.

"LORD CORRIN! LADY AZURA! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Corrin and Azura both flinch at the sudden shout from the normally-jovial man as Lilith scrambled backwards, face full of fear and surprise as Otis interposes himself between, arms spread to keep them separated.

"Otis?" Corrin said questioningly. "What's—"

"I thought I told you two to  _run!_ " Otis said, his voice deadly serious. He pointed back at Lilith who was still kneeling on the ground, watching them with shock. "She's dangerous!"

"From who?" Azura asked. "Who's dangerous? Lilith?"

At the sound of her name, Otis blanched. "So it  _is_  her!" he whispered in horror.

Corrin gently took Otis' out-stretched arms and forced them down to his sides. "What's going on here, Otis? Do you know her?"

Otis nodded, his eyes wide and fearful. Lilith slowly got to her feet and Otis jerked backwards as if he had been burned, knocking Corrin off balance. He grunted as his rear end fell onto the ground. Azura was by his side in an instant, her hands holding his arm as Corrin back up to his feet.

"Otis, I—"

"She was one of  _his_ servants!" Otis hissed. "How does she still live and breathe?"

"Otis, calm—"

Otis whirled around and grabbed Corrin by the lapels, shaking him. Spittle flew on Corrin's face as Otis said, "You said you killed Anankos, didn't you, boy? You killed him, right? So why is his hand—his assassin and general—still alive?"

Corrin grit his teeth in pain as Otis' shaking inadvertently brought their foreheads together in a  _clonk_. Otis released Corrin and stumbled backwards, his hand pressed to his forehead.

Corrin's eyes widened as he saw a blur of blue behind Otis. Catching his gaze, Otis turned only for the heel of Lilith's wedges slam into his forehead, knocking him out cold. The older man fell to the ground with a surprisingly childish moan.

"Otis!" Corrin exclaimed, kneeling down by the old retainer. He checked his pulse and was relieved to find that he had simply been knocked unconscious. Already, there was a red mark swelling up on his forehead where Lilith had kicked him.

"What was that for?" he asked Lilith, who had covered her mouth with her hands, eyes even wider and more fearful than before.

"I-I—"

"We should get him to the infirmary," Azura interrupted, her stone-mask persona already in place to hide her shock as she hoisted Otis up so that he was leaning on her.

"You two should talk," she said, gesturing to the inside of Lilith's shrine. "I'll take care of Otis."

"Are you sure, Azura?" Corrin asked. "I mean, he's—"

"I've already carried one unconscious male before in the past," Azura reminded him. "It was just last week, don't you remember?"

Corrin swallowed his objections and nodded. He beckoned to Lilith with a single finger before ducking into the cool interior of the shrine.

He took a moment to breathe deeply, remind himself of the woman—no,  _sister—_ he was going to talk to. He allowed his gaze to drift around the shrine, from the mossy walls to the little alter as he waited for Lilith to enter after him. He didn't have to wait long before the signature  _clacks_  of Lilith's wedges echoed around the shrine.

He turned around to see Lilith staring despondently at the ground, her braid being twisted again and again in her hands. She glanced up at Corrin, but the instant she met his eye, her gaze snapped back down to the floor, and she intensified her fidgeting with her braid.

All in all, she looked as if she was expecting to be hauled off to the execution block.

"Why did you kick him?" Corrin asked.

Lilith said nothing but continued to stare at the ground. Corrin sighed and walked towards her. Lilith flinched and jerked back, finally meeting his gaze as she held out a hand, as if to stop him.

"Stay away from me!" she said. "You…you don't know what I'm capable of!"

"I do know," Corrin said softly as he continued to approach her. "Azura told me everything about you. How you were one of Anankos' servants, how…how you're my sister."

Lilith's eyes widen even further as she continued to back up. She gasps and glances behind herself as she felt her back press up against the mossy stone wall. Her eyes flicker back to Corrin slowly approaching her, that look—that  _damned_ look in his eyes.

"Stay back!" she squeaked. "If you do know what I'm capable of, then why do you keep trying to help me?"

"Lilith—"

"Everything Otis said about me was true!" she said, her wedges scraping against the stone floor as she continued pressing herself into the wall, as if it would swallow her if she tried hard enough.

"Lilith, you need to calm down," Corrin said soothingly, though he stopped advancing towards her. "You're hyperventilating."

Lilith pressed a palm to her chest as she realized that what Corrin said was true. Already, she could feel the edges of her vision start to darken, and she couldn't feel the tips of her hands and toes. She took a moment to take several deep breaths, to slow her heartbeat before she realized how close to her Corrin was, and she jerked away again.

"Stay away from me!" she repeated, ducking away from Corrin's outstretched hand. "I'm—"

Corrin narrowed his eyes before straightening up and saying, clearly and sternly, "Lilith, as your future king and brother, I  _order_  you to let me give you a hug."

Lilith paused. "A-a hug?" she asked, not realizing the trap until it was too late.

Corrin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Lilith took a half-step backward, unsure of how to react. Her arms remained still by her sides.

Corrin slowly pulled away, though he kept his hands on her shoulders. When she tried to flex away, he tightened his grip on her, forcing her to face her.

"Lilith, I—"

Lilith flinched and averted her gaze from him.

Corrin sighed. "Lilith, I'm not mad at you—well, I'm a little bit mad and confused as to why you kicked my steward in the face, but that's besides the point. I'm not angry at you, and I don't hate you for what you did before in the past."

"You should," she muttered, balling her skirt in her fists.

Corrin frowned. "Maybe I should, but I disagree. You're my  _sister_ , Lilith, and nothing, not even Moro can stop me from forgiving you."

 _That_  got Lilith's attention. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at Corrin in the eyes. "You…you forgive me?" she asked slowly, quietly.

"Of course I do," Corrin said gently, using a thumb to wipe a tear away from her eyes. "Like I said, you're my  _sister_. I…I just want to know why you kicked Otis."

Lilith's gaze dropped again as she began fiddling with her braid. "I…I saw how he accidentally headbutted you, and…and I guess my training took over."

Corrin blinked, as if he hadn't been expecting that—he had, but he felt it was better if he filled in the role of the understanding older sibling here. "Is that it?" he asked. "You didn't do it out of spite, or because you wanted to, you just did it because you thought I was in danger and you reacted the only way you knew how to?"

Lilith nodded.

Corrin sighed and released her. "Alright then," he said. "I believe you."

Lilith looked up at him in surprise. "Y-you do? Why?"

Corrin smiled gently at her. "Because you're my sister, that's why."

"But…I did all those things," she muttered, going back into  _self-deprecating_  mode. "I don't deserve your kindness."

"Don't say that," Corrin scolded, hugging her again. This time, the tips of Lilith's fingers twitched, as if they wanted to return the action but the rest of her body said  _no._

"You shouldn't ever think of yourself that way," he stresses. "Yes, you may have done terrible things in the past, but so have I. Yes, you should feel some guilt over them, but you shouldn't let them dictate your life. Our past shapes us, but they don't define us, and blood isn't the only thing that can tie people together."

"Corrin—"

Corrin squeezed her. "Sh…" he shushed. "I'm not done yet. I always thought of you as a sister long before I found out you were actually just that: my sister. Nothing can change that, and I'll do whatever I can to help you on your path for atonement. I'll support you the same way you support me."

Lilith's whole arm twitched this time, and slowly, she let them rise up and wrap themselves around Corrin's back, the skin-tight armor still wet from the rain outside.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled away. "Azura…Azura also said similar things to me, when she discovered our relationship, but hearing it from you is…is…"

"Different?" Corrin offered. "More heartwarming?"

Lilith nodded, wiping her tears away on the back of her hand. For the first time in nearly a decade, she smiled. Not a fake, courteous smile people wore when they saw their best friend getting married, but a genuine, unfettered smile that caused this dollop of light to blossom her chest.

"Exactly," she said, before the smile faded away.

Corrin's brow furrowed at her sudden change in expression. "Hey," he said, taking her chin in his hand. "What's wrong?"

Lilith wrested her chin away from him. "You shouldn't do that," she muttered.

"Why not?" he asked. "I do it to Azura all the time, and she's fine with it."

"That's…that's because she's your  _lover_ ," Lilith said, turning red. "People usually only do that…for people they love."

"But I do love you!" Corrin said, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Not  _that_  kind of love," Lilith said, looking him in the eyes. "There's two types of love, you know. The type you share with Azura, and…the type you sure with your siblings and family."

Corrin's eyes widened as he realized what Lilith was saying. He also turned red and stumbled away, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"O-oh," he said. "S-sorry. Didn't mean to make it so awkward."

Lilith smiled wearily. "It's fine," she said. "Just one question though."

"Hm?"

"When…when did you find out about us?" she asked.

Corrin sighed and rubbed his chin. "Well, after the battle, when you transported us back to the astral plane, Anankos sort of…spoke to me."

Lilith gasped.

"Anankos?" she asked. "W-which one? He—"

"He split himself into two souls, one kind and benevolent and the other mad and bent on destroying the world," Corrin finished. "Yes, I know. Speaking of which…"

Corrin reached into a pocket normally hidden away by his armor and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "Anankos…wanted me to kill him," he explained, and Lilith eye's widened, but she remained silent, trusting Corrin to explain himself.

"He wanted me to kill him so he can leave the Gray Planes—"

"Gray Planes?"

"Long story," Corrin said. "Not many know about it, but I'll explain that part later. He…wanted me to help him kill himself so he could peacefully 'pass on,' I guess you could say…and I did as he asked. But before he died, he told me something, and…well, he also told me to say a few things to you. At the time, I wasn't sure why you, of all people, but I guess now it's pretty obvious, huh?"

Lilith covered her mouth with her hand as she silently grieved, but quickly composed herself. "What did he say?" she asked.

Corrin fiddled with a strand of his hair. "Yeah, well, here's the thing…I forgot."

"You  _what?"_

"It's alright!" Corrin said hastily. "I managed to write them down before I forgot them, and Anankos…he—our father told me to tell you that he's proud of everything that you've done. Saving me when I fell into The Bottomless Canyon, beseeching the Astral Dragons, giving us a safe place to stay during the war…everything."

Lilith slowly fell to her knees, her hand clutched to her chest as tears flowed free again, unchecked. "Oh, father," she sobbed.

Corrin sat down on the cold stone floor next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him as she buried her face in the crook of her neck and cries in sorrow and relief.

* * *

"What now? Another one?" the healer, a stout, matron-faced woman asked crossly as Azura pushed open the door leading into the infirmary.

Azura wasted a moment to stare flatly at the healer before asking, "Can you please help me?"

The older woman quickly set down the book she was reading and strode over to her far more briskly than what one would've thought of a woman of her age and size.

"What's wrong with him?" she said, running a critical eye over the angry bruise on Otis' forehead.

"He…got kicked," Azura said lamely. "Can you see if you can help me?"

The older woman  _harrumphed_  and crossed her arms. "I don't know who you are, but we only deal with  _serious_  injuries here, young lady," she said sternly. "As ugly as that bruise may be, would you rather have me waste materials on such a paltry mark, or would you rather have me save the supplies so I can actually save the  _lives_  of somebody in a more serious situation."

Azura said nothing but rose an eyebrow as she held up her pendant. The matron glared at her.

"Yes, well, that's a very necklace you have there," she drawled, "but unless you think you're some sort of queen, don't think you can just bribe and boss me around just because you have a pretty necklace."

"First off," a third voice interrupted, "it's not a necklace, it's a pendant. You can tell because it belongs to the Queen-Consort of Valla."

Azura visibly brightened as she realized who that voice belonged to. How could she not?

The matron rolled her eyes. "Oh really?" she drawled. "Well, if she's the queen of Valla, then I'm the—"

The matron's eye puckered out, the words dying in her throat as she turned to see Corrin standing face-to-face with her, with Lilith shyly standing behind him. The matron spluttered for a second, trying to excuse herself.

Corrin rose a hand. "No need," he said. "Heal our friend."

"O-of course, mi—"

"Then get out."

Everyone blinked at the sudden hardness in Corrin's tone.

"Corrin?" Azura asked questioningly.

"Nobody is going to speak to you that way," Corrin said flatly as the matron began her work on Otis' forehead.

Unfortunately, the healing took less than fifteen seconds, and upon seeing the crushed look on the matron's face, Corrin decided to take pity on her.

"Actually, do you have a husband?"

The matron blinked in surprise. "N-not anymore," she said. "H-he died long ago. I have a son, though. He's one of the few that managed to survive—"

Corrin nodded. "Good. While I am…firing you, for lack of a better term, I will permit you to live with your son until he leaves for his home country. Once you leave, you are not to step foot back within New Valla's borders, once the country has been properly set up. Am I understood?"

The matron nodded shakily, already leaving to gather her book and belongings.

"That being said," Corrin added, and the matron looked back at him, "I am not forbidding you from practice medicine. I am simply forbidding you from stepping foot in Valla. Do you understand?"

The matron nodded again? "Y-yes, thank you, milord."

"I am not your lord any longer," Corrin said flatly. "Out of this building."

The matron pursed her lips and nodded as she ducked out. Lilith and Azura both stared at Corrin as he looked back at them.

"What?" he said defensively.

"I'm…just surprised," Azura admitted. "I don't think I've ever seen you so…angry before."

"Angry?" Corrin's voice sounds genuinely confused. "I wasn't angry. I was just feeling…displeased towards how she was treating you."

"Yes, well," Azura blinked and took a deep breath as she pressed a palm to her chest. "That was certainly very  _gallant_  of you, sir Corrin, but was it really necessary to—"

Corrin interrupted her by pressing her lips against hers. Azura's eyes widened in surprise before closing them. As she was about to deepen the kiss, she realized where they were and pulled back. Corrin did the same at the exact same time, brushing imaginary dirt off the front of his armor.

Why, Corrin kept wearing the armor, Azura was unsure, though she did admit that it looked…natural on him. Especially since it was mostly skintight, leaving many things to the imagination, but that was a different story.

Azura touched her cheek, where it had suddenly gone warm. "Oh, um, okay," she said, a little bit unsteadily it must be said.

Her gaze flickered between Corrin and Lilith, who was still standing in the doorway and making a show of looking pointedly away from the two of them.

"Did…you two make up?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. "Lilith?" he called.

The other blue-haired woman dutifully trotted over, her wedges clacking on the floor as she curtsied before Azura.

"Milady," she greeted.

"Oh, you don't need to be so formal with me," Azura said, smiling. "You're Corrin's sister now, aren't you? You can be as informal with me as you want, so far as it's appropriate, of course."

Lilith nodded. "Of course, La—Azura. Lor—sorry—Corrin said the same, and he ordered me to call you two by you without your titles."

"It wasn't an order, Lilith," Corrin pouted. "It was a request!"

"Yes, well, kings don't make requests," Lilith said dryly, and Azura could catch the undertone that too many men seem to miss.

"Well, Otis is healed now," she interrupted, hastily changing the subject. "What are you going to do with him?"

Corrin—gods bless him—being as dense as they come, didn't seem to suspicious about the sudden change in topic. He walked over to the unconscious Otis' side and sighed.

"I'm going to convince him that Lilith's not a threat anymore," he said simply. "That she's a changed woman-dragon."

Addressing Lilith, he added, "I might not be able to convince all of the other Vallites, so it'll be better if you stick close to me for these next few days. Or weeks. Or months. Gods I hope it doesn't devolve into  _years_."

Lilith nodded. "Of course, Lo—Corrin. Of course, Corrin," she said, hastily correcting her blunder.

Corrin smiled at her and nodded supportively as they waited for Otis to resurface.

* * *

It didn't take long. Corrin had just decided to sit down in a chair that Lilith pulled up for when Otis chose that exact moment to jump back in consciousness. He bolted upright, chest heaving and eyes rolling as he looked around fearfully.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Where am I?"

"Calm  _down_ , Otis," Corrin said gently as he pushed Otis back onto the bed. "You just…got knocked out, that's all."

Otis frowned. "Knocked out?" he asked. "My boy, why would I be knocked out by? I may have gray hairs, but not a lot of things can catch me off-guard, you know."

"I know," Corrin replied, subtly tightening a leather strap around Otis' wrist. Azura did the same. As for Lilith, she was hidden behind a white curtain, so that only her shadow and silhouette was visible from where Otis was lying.

"But then again…" Corrin mused, nodding towards the shadow. "You can never expect the unexpected, now can you?"

Otis lurched backwards, or at least he tried to, had it not been for the leather straps binding him to the bed. He tried wrenching himself free, before giving up to just stare fearfully at Lilith.

"What is  _she_  still doing here?" he asked, not bothering to hide the way his voice shook.

Corrin and Azura looked at each other while Lilith bowed her head, fiddling with her braid. "I told you the Vallites wouldn't change their opinions of me," she said morosely.

"Try talking to him, then," Corrin suggested. Upon catching Otis shaking his head, Corrin laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "Otis,  _relax_. She's—"

"You don't know what she's capable of!" Otis hissed, trying to wrench himself free again. "She took all of them! Jax! Marilee! Nerin! Eunice! Helen! Thracia! Zeth! She killed them all!"

Corrin blinked. "Who?"

"My friends!" Otis said, the white of his eyes showing. "She took them all away from us! She's dangerous, you don't know what she's done to us!"

"I do know," Corrin said. "But Otis, I have to ask you a question: do you trust me?"

"Of course milord, but—"

"Then trust me when I say that she's…changed," Corrin said. "She's saved my life numerous times before and helped us win this war."

Otis shook his head. "No, no, that can't be true…that monster took all my people away from me couldn't have done that."

"She can and she has!" Azura interjected. "Ask yourself, would I or Corrin ever lie to you about something that doesn't have to do with legislature things?"

"Of course not, milady, but—"

Corrin squeezed his shoulder. "Just hear her out."

Corrin nodded towards Lilith, who took a deep breath and stepped towards Otis. Otis reflexively jerked his head away from her, but the rest of him stayed relatively still, so Lilith took that to be a good sign.

"Can…can I ask you a question?" she asked meekly, sitting down and clasping her hands together in front of her.

Otis said nothing but nodded his head almost imperceptibly.

Lilith took another deep breath. "Actually, I wanted to apologize first. For everything."

Again, Otis said nothing but continued to watch her warily.

"Can…can I continue?" she asked.

Another nod.

Lilith's hand tightened, her entire body tensing. "I…I want to say that I'm sorry. For everything I did to you. For whipping you, and killing your friends, and taking my anger out on you and your people for no reason…and…and most of all, for having enjoyed it at the time."

Corrin and Azura both nodded supportively when Lilith looked back at her. All of a sudden, she felt like a little girl again, though she knew that was impossible. She was created and brought into this world biologically as an adult, with all the knowledge that would benefit someone of her intended age, but that wasn't to say that she  _felt_  that old.

Lilith took another deep breath. "What I did was terrible, and I really wished I hadn't done it. I was abusing my power, taking all of my hurt and anger on you, because it was convenient. It was—and still is—wrong of me to…treat you that way. All of you. And your friends."

Otis closed his eyes, a single tear rolling down his wrinkled cheek. "My friends," he croaked. "What did you do with them? How long did you make them bleed out for before you finished them off?"

Lilith swallowed. "I…I wasn't responsible for their executions," she said quietly. "I…my purpose whenever I visited was to check on who was too weak to continue living, so they could be used as…'training.' Most of the people I picked, however, died quickly and painlessly. Anankos was more concerned about learning how to quickly and efficiently kill enemy soldiers so he could turn them, which usually meant very quick and painless deaths."

"How…many?" Otis insisted.

Lilith swallowed. "Of the six hundred thousand, four hundred eight three people I killed, only five hundred twenty three died in agony."

"Do you remember their names?" Otis asked, eyes still squeezed shut.

Lilith shook her head. "N-no," she admitted bowing her head so her bands obscured her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Otis opened his eyes and looked at her then. "Why?" he asked. "You said you took your anger out on us. Why?"

Lilith bunched up the material of skirt. "Anankos…I may have been your overseer, and I may not have lived as a slave, but that didn't mean I was necessarily free. You know how Anankos was my father, correct?"

Otis nodded.

"He was…not a very good one. A father," Lilith said. "Even as you were afraid of me being your overseer, I was afraid of Anankos being my 'father.' He was…terrible, it didn't matter if he was angry or not. He was cruel with his words, often diminishing me in the same way I diminished you, and he tolerated no failure. Being his daughter did not make me immune to his wrath…as my predecessor learned."

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Your predecessor?" he asked. "I have another sister?"

Lilith shook her head. "No, she died…almost the instant she was born. My first memory of being alive was Anankos asking us to kill a newborn babe. Anankos presented it to her, and…she refused."

A single tear glistened on her cheek.

"She put the dagger down and refused to kill it," she said, shivering. "I'll…I'll never forget hearing her screams afterward. She was alive for scarcely more than fifteen minutes before my father ended her and turned on me."

"Is that why the guards always checked those with child?" Otis asked, and everyone turned to see that he was no longer shaking in fear, but was watching the three of them curiously, though still with a healthy dollop of caution in his eyes. "So he could test…you?"

Lilith nodded. "I was the only successful one, because I was the only one who knew what happened if you failed to kill the babe. All of my other 'sisters' died within minutes of being created. Apparently, empathy is a common trait among Anankos' children."

She laughed self-deprecatingly, and Corrin shifted, clearly uncomfortable with her words, though he chose to remain silent.

"Anyways," Lilith continued, "may I ask my question now?"

Otis narrowed his eyes. "…you may," he said cautiously.

Lilith glanced towards Corrin before asking, "Do you blame Lo—Corrin for my crimes?"

Otis shook his head fervently. "Of course not. He has done nothing but good for Valla—er, New Valla, that is. He's an able leader, and a kind and charismatic one at that. Even if he didn't take me on as his steward, I would be loyal to him for the rest of my short, old life."

"That's good," Lilith said. "And what of our father's crimes? As the future king of Valla, you know that Corrin will inherit the fallout, right?"

"That doesn't change how I feel about him," Otis said adamantly. "He saved from Anankos, and that's it. End of story, amen."

She smiles softly then. "That's good," she said, bowing. "And again, I honestly am sorry about everything."

"I…I suppose I am too," Otis admitted. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I still can't trust you with the same level Lord Corrin does. Just—"

"—too many bad memories," Lilith finished. "I know. And that's alright."

"But I can see…why you did the things you did," Otis continued. "Even if it meant you putting us through that hell for nigh on a decade…I never knew about how Anankos treated you, though now that I think about it, I wasn't sure what I was expecting."

Lilith pauses, before nodding. Turning towards Corrin, she said, "If it's alright with you, Corrin, I'll be taking my leave now."

"Nope, sorry, can't let you do that, remember?" Corrin said, shaking his head. "Remember what I told you? Otis may have forgiven you—"

"I haven't yet, milord. I just…understand her better now."

"—Otis may understand you better now, but that doesn't mean the rest of the Vallites will. Remember what I told you outside the shrine? You're to stay near me, or at least until we know the Vallites won't run you through with a dagger or slit your throat while you sleep."

Lilith sighed. "Very well then. As you wish."

"Er—Lord Corrin?"

"Hm?"

"If I may, I have another question for Lilith."

Corrin and Lilith look at each other before Corrin said, "Go ahead."

"When you were asking me what if I held Lord Corrin accountable for your crimes, you said 'our' father. And then Lord Corrin said something about having 'another sister' when you were telling me about the first few moments of your life. Are you saying that—"

Otis paused mid-sentence as he looked at Corrin and Lilith with something close to doom in his eyes.

"No..."


	13. Chapter 13

Corrin, Lilith, and Azura all shared concerned glances as Otis began to hyperventilate again. "Otis, I can explain," Azura said, even softer this time as she laid her hand on Otis' shoulder. To their relief, he did not jerk away as Corrin laid his hands on one shoulder, Azura on the other, and guided him so that he laid flat on the bed.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Otis did not move his wide-eyed, doom-filled gaze from Corrin's own red eyes, and the eye contact made him pointedly uncomfortable. He rolled his shoulders as a chill ran down his back.

"Otis, listen to me," Corrin said again as he sat down on the bed next to Otis. "I know you—"

Instantly, Otis blanched again and started thrashing about. "No! Stay  _away_  from me, you  _devil!"_  he shouted, his voice almost an octave higher than usual in his panic.

Corrin tried to hide the hurt and surprise on his face, but was evidently unable to when Azura called his name. He looked towards the songstress as she gestured with her head to move away from the older man. Corrin immediately complied, allowing Azura to sit where he was as he stood silently next to the door by Lilith. Otis, however, continued to stare fearfully at the two dragons, the bed creaking and almost threatening to break underneath all his thrashing.

Azura sighed as she clutched her pendant in her hands, the blue jewel a stark contrast to the white walls of the infirmary. Corrin's eyes widened as he realized what she was planning to do. She always clutched at her pendant in some way prior to using it to sing.

"Azura! No!" he protested, walking over to her and grabbing her wrist. "What are you doing?"

Azura glared at him, and Corrin averted his gaze instinctively, knowing the argument that would inevitably ensure later if he stood his ground. He sighed and reluctantly released her before stepping back, hands raised as if he had been burned.

"Sorry," he apologized. "O-old habits."

Azura took a shaky breath. "Corrin, please trust me. I won't sing, but I need you to leave."

Corrin frowned and looked back at Lilith, pointing to himself in the chest. "Me too?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Please leave." Inwardly, she cringed at how terribly rude that sounded. "S-sorry, it's just that maybe it'll be better for Otis if—"

"It's alright," he interrupted, forestalling her with a raised finger. "You two need space, we get it. Lilith?"

The blue-haired woman bowed and nodded once towards Otis before following her brother out of the room, though Azura could still see their shadows casted on the wall besides the door. As Corrin approached the doorway, he paused and looked back at her.

"Make sure you don't push yourself, alright?" he asked before leaving.

Azura nodded silently before returning her attention to Otis, who had stopped his shaking and was now watching Corrin and Azura. "W-what are you going to do to me, milady?" he asked fearfully. "Please, you have to understand—"

"Don't worry," Azura soothed. "I'm not going to do anything to you. I…just wanted to see if I could change your opinion of Corrin.

She hung her pendant out in front of her, the gold gleamed as it spun around idly in her hands, casting pockets of light on Otis' face. "You're aware of the history of 'Lost in Thoughts All Alone,' correct?

Otis nodded. "O-of course. Besides your pendant and the traditional white dress songstresses of Valla wore, that song was always passed down from singer to singer. Why?"

"Are you aware of what the song can do when sung by a Rheos songstress?" Azura asked, nervously rubbing a thumb over the pendant's cold metal body. The song was meant for calming dragons and freeing those possessed by Anankos. She had never tried using it to calm or ease a human before, but if it could calm a dragon, surely, it would do wonders on a human, right?

Otis shook his head. "No, your mother and father always kept that a secret from all save for those who were next in line to receive the pendant. That was a secret that was jealousy guarded by the Vallite royal family." he said. "Surely, you don't mean to—"

"The song was written by Anankos himself in order to help him control his madness," Azura said flatly, ignoring the blink of surprise coming from Otis. "The song required a great deal of life energy from those who sing it, which was why so many songstresses died singing it. It was meant for containing the wrath of a dragon, and contain it it did."

Otis frowned, eyebrows furrowing. "I don't—"

"Anankos may be dead, but that doesn't mean my song doesn't have a purpose," Azura continued. "Corrin may be half dragon, yes, but he has yet to show any symptoms of the fears you may possess."

"My fears? What do—"

"The fear that Corrin will turn on our people again, the same way his father did," Azura said, lowering her voice. She glanced back at the two shadows on the wall outside the door, before continuing. "I know you might hate living under yet another dragon's rule, but please believe me," Azura pleaded "Corrin  _is_  a good man. He'll never be the type of person to take advantage of or abuse his subjects. He's—"

"You say that like you're his lover," Otis joked bitterly. "How can you even love someone whose father killed our people? Forgive my unprofessionalism, milady, but you don't know what we've been through. You have no idea how many times I saw people suffering under Anankos' reign, all while you fell in love with our tormentor's own  _son_. I hope you understand where I'm coming from, Lady Azura."

"I do," she said simply. "More than you realize."

Otis sighed tiredly and shook his head. "No, you don't," he said bitterly. "I watched my wife and child butchered in front of me, yet scarcely five minutes later, it was them who was running after me with my name on a sword, not Anankos' soldiers. I watched my best friend's wife's newborn daughter ripped away from her, minutes after she was born, just so  _he_  could test another one of  _her._  How could you love the son of someone who took pleasure in  _that?_  We lived—"

"You lived in constant fear," Azura finished frostily. "Yes, I am aware of that, and while my heart bleeds for you and the rest of my people, it doesn't change the fact that I was abused, both physically and emotionally in Nohr and Hoshido. At least in Valla, people knew who I was besides being royalty. I couldn't even speak of Valla to anyone, because of the curse. I know that sounds like nothing compared to what you've been through, Otis, I know, but at least when you were enslaved, you had each other. You could count on others supporting you, no matter how dire their own situations might be, but oftentimes, you'll find that a crippled shoulder to lean on is always better than to have no shoulder at all."

"Milady—"

"I was alone all those years," Azura continued, ignoring Otis' attempted interruption. "Yes, I escaped the worst of Anankos' torture, but that doesn't mean I escaped unscathed. I lost my mother scarcely two years after our 'escape' to Garon's court, where I was abused almost daily after her passing, both physically and emotionally. Soon after, I was spirited away to Hoshido, where I was treated as a political prisoner and an outcast by all save my adopted siblings, and even then, they were always pulled away by the public. For nearly my entire life, Otis, I was nothing more than a pawn between two powers who cared for little else besides their own interests.  _That's_  when I met him. That's when I met Corrin. Did I know he was the son of the killer of my people? No. Did he? Again, no. For nearly two years, Otis, Corrin has been nothing but kind and supportive towards me. You ask why I love him? You ask why I fell for the son of our people's killer? The answer is because he's  _not_  his father. In the same way Xander isn't Garon, Corrin isn't Anankos. Corrin is  _Corrin_. And he's  _mine_ , do you understand?"

Otis stared back at her with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by her sudden intensity. "Y-yes, milady," he stammered, "but surely, you see the dangers of having a  _dragon_  ruling over us again, do you not? W-what happens if he goes mad? What if—"

"Corrin will  _not_  go mad," Azura said, her voice uncharacteristically rising in volume.  _Furthermore,_  you are a  _royal retainer_ of  _Valla,_  and as such, your loyalties are to lie with the throne. I understand that the only reason why you wish to continue serving Valla in your old age is out of loyalty to the throne and respect to my father, but in this new era, Corrin is going to be the one sitting on that throne, not me."

Otis paled. "You're abdicating?" he asked in a hushed whisper. "B-but I thought—"

"Yes, I know I am the rightful heir to the throne, but after discussing it with Corrin, we've decided that it would be best if we were to marry so that I could abdicate the throne to him, thus making him King-Regent and me Queen-Consort," Azura explained.

Softening her voice, she laid a hand soothingly on Otis' shoulder. "I know you hate Corrin for being a dragon, but hear me out, please. Corrin is a good man. Just…give him a chance, Otis.  _Please_. Corrin has never liked being half-dragon, and while I had the exact same thoughts as you when he first transformed, over time, I started to look past the beast that laid under his skin to see who he really was: a kind, loving person who would do anything to help others, even if they felt ill towards him," she said. "I know he'll do the same even as the king of Valla, but the reason why Anankos fell into madness in the first place was because he was betrayed by his people. He had no one to talk to, no allies to call his own, and no friends to listen to for advice. His downfall was inevitable, and even though I once shared your fear of Corrin possibly following the same fate as his father, the only way we can prevent that from happening is if he has  _our_  support. Nothing else can change that. Not even my song can hold back the tide forever, as history has proven. Only with our support and love can Corrin treat us the way Anankos should've treated us; with kindness, love, and respect."

Otis mumbled something, and Azura had to lean in closer to hear him through his beard. "Pardon, what was that?" she asked. "I didn't—"

"Give me a few days," Otis mumbled again, louder and clearer this time. "I…I need a few days to figure this out."

Azura blinked before leaning back, her expression unreadable through the mask she always wore. "Of course," she said. "Take as long as you wish. Corrin and I will await your response, whether ill or not."

* * *

Seven steps forward, seven steps back.

Every third iteration, Otis would look up at the tiny patch of sunlight streaming in through the tiny window on the wall of his cell. At first, he thought his cell would be some kind of rat hole with nothing more than a plank of wood with a nail through it to serve as his bed, but in actuality, his "cell" was less of a cell than it was a fully furnished room, complete with a bed, nightstand, and a wardrobe. In fact, the only thing that marked the room out from the rest of the dozens of private quarters built throughout the castle was the absence of windows.

Actually, saying there wasn't one wouldn't be entirely true. There was a window, actually, but it was so small and so far up, that the only use it had was letting in fresh air and telling Otis whether it was night or not, so that he could sleep. It wasn't all bad, he later realized. As an act of goodwill by Lady Azura for his "imprisonment," he had the entirety of New Gyges' archives at his disposal. During the day, however, he spent his days pacing and reading books, scrolls, manuscripts, and whatever else he could get his hands on from the castle archives. He had spent hours poring over these books, looking for any evidence of half-dragons going mad, but so far, he had no such luck. He knew he had told Lady Azura that he only required a few days to make up his mind about that…that dragon-prince, and she had allowed it, but only on the condition that he remain in his quarters the entire duration.

"The secret of Corrin's family must remain the way it is right now: a secret," she had said. "If word gets out that Corrin is the son of Anankos, there will undoubtedly be a mass panic, and with New Valla still in such a vulnerable state, such an event will undoubtedly prove disastrous."

He had agreed with her, and now here he was, stuck in a room pacing back and forth for hours on end. Did he resent Lady Azura for this? No, not really. But was he worried that despite her trust in Lord Corrin, he would still turn on them? Yes, absolutely.

Otis looked up from the book he was reading as he heard one of the guards outside say something. Another voice, female, it seemed, replied. Seemingly pleased by the answer, the door creaked open. Otis froze as he heard the sound of  _her_  wedges clacking in, and he looked up to see Lilith standing in the room, her hands clasped nervously in front of her, and a small but gentle smile on her face.

Otis almost reacted, but at the last moment, he forced himself to take a deep breath.  _Relax, old man. She's not here to hurt you. Probably. Hopefully._

"Hello there," he greeted, failing to hide the air of apprehension in his voice. "What can I do for you?" Despite his nervousness towards the woman responsible for so many years of pain, he still somehow managed to stop himself from bolting away whenever he glimpsed her shadow or heard the signature clack of wedges echoing down the halls, a  _very_  familiar sound all the slaves had learned to fear.

Lilith's hands tightened, evidently sensing his unease. "N-nothing at the moment right now," she said. She gestured to a wooden chair in the corner of the room. "May I sit?"

Otis looked at where she was pointed and shrugged nonchalantly. "Go for it. It's not like I had a use for it these past few days."

Lilith pursed her lips but said nothing as she brought the chair over in front of Otis' bed where he was lying, and sat down, her posture prim and proper compared to his tired and more laid-back way of lying on the bed. For a moment, they simply looked at each other, trying to gauge the other's feelings.

Finally, after an unnecessarily long moment, Lilith asked, "How have you been doing?"

Otis shrugged again. "Pretty well, considering I'm pretty much a prisoner in all but name," he said, returning his attention to his book.

"You know…you know that Lady Azura and Corrin are only isolating you so that you won't spread any rumors, right?"

Otis nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, yes, I know. I heard the whole thing back in the infirmary. And no, before you ask, I'm still undecided on my feelings towards your  _brother_."

"That's not what I was here to talk to you about," Lilith said.

Otis looked up at her. "Then why are you here?" he asked.

Lilith swallowed and rubbed her hands dry of sweat on her skirt. "I'm here on my own accord," she said. "I…I know I already apologized to you a few days ago, but I'm here to apologize formally."

Otis waved a hand dismissively at her. "No need," he said bluntly. "You already said your piece, and you've already heard mine. I can't forgive you for your actions, but I can understand your reasoning behind them. Unless there's a way to heal all those scars you and your henchmen gave me, there's nothing for us to talk about regarding our past."

Lilith's brow furrowed. "You…you haven't gone to a healer?" she asked.

Otis scoffed. "Of course I did. Apparently, those  _punishments_  you gave us are resistant to healing spells, to prevent any spellcasters that remained among us from being able to heal properly," he said bitterly, remembering how one of their own, a boy by the name of Ferix had died of an infection following one of  _her_  punishments. The boy died slowly and painfully over the course of a week, and nothing could have stopped it. A day later, they had a new guard with Ferix's features.

Lilith's mouth dropped in shock before hastily closing it again. "I-I see," she said, her gaze dropping shamefully to the ground. "I'm sorry."

Otis looked at her, unsure of how to continue before finally electing to grunt noncommittally and return his gaze to his book. Though his eyes trailed over the lines of text, he found he couldn't absorb any of the contents, so after reading the same paragraph four times in rapid succession, he sighed and closed the book with a  _snap_.

Lilith flinched at the sudden sound as Otis set the book on the table next to his bed. "Tell me," he said, "what are the chances of you and your brother going mad again and turning on us?"

Lilith blinked. "W-well, the first time Lord Corrin ever transformed, it was only after his mother d-died in front of him. When that happened, yes, he did lash out and try to destroy everything around him, but you have the understand, Otis, he had just lost his mother at the time! His grief and rage at the time was the catalyst for his behavior, but ever since Lady Azura gave him his dragonstone, he has never fully transformed without there being some sort of desperate need!"

"Such as?"

Lilith looked down again. "Ever since Corrin discovered his draconic heritage, he has only transformed twice because of his rage," she said quietly. "Once when his mother died, which—"

"Which can be understandable," Otis interrupted. "What about the other time?"

Lilith bunched up her skirt materials in her hands. "The second time was when Lady Azura's life was threatened by Sir Gunter," she said.

Otis rose an eyebrow. "Gunter? Who is—ah, do you mean the old man who jumped out of Lord Corrin's balcony a week or so ago?"

Lilith nodded. "My brother has always hated being part dragon. He only transforms if there's no other choice, and even then, he mostly prefers to partially transform, so that he could retain some measure of control over himself."

Otis nodded thoughtfully. "I see," he said simply. "What about you?"

Lilith blinked and pointed to herself. "Me?" she asked.

Otis nodded. "Won't you go mad as well?"

Lilith shook her head. "N-no, I don't believe I ever will," she said. "Even though I'm a full dragon unlike my brother, who is only half-dragon, I was created to have perfect control over myself, so that I wouldn't turn against my f—Anankos." She chuckled humorlessly. "Obviously, I did anyways, but it wasn't because I was in a fit or madness or whatever. I turned against my father because at the time, I…I loved, well, let's just say that at the time, I loved my brother more than I feared Anankos, so I left."

Otis blinked in surprise. "And he let you?" he asked.

Lilith shook her head. "He tried to kill me for my betrayal," she said, twisting her braid in her hands. "But…but I managed to survive and made my way to my brother's side, albeit wounded. The first time I ever met Lord Corrin, he was scarcely past the age of seven."

Otis rubbed his chin, now interested. "How did you two meet?"

Lilith smiled gently, unable to suppress the action. "I…despite surviving Anankos' attempt on my life, I was still gravely wounded, so I…collapsed in front of my brother. He, with the mind of a child at the time, thought me to be some kind of odd bird, so he took me in and cared for me until I was strong enough to take care of myself. That was when the great astral dragon Moro changed me into the form you see before you, both so I could hide better from Anankos' servants, and so I could care for my brother without raising any suspicions."

"You say 'Anankos' instead of 'my father,'" Otis noted. "Why?"

Lilith pursed her lips. "That answer…is much more complicated than what it seems," she admitted. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you one of my father's darkest secrets, but the simple answer I can give you right now is that…while Anankos, the one that destroyed Valla, created me, I saw him less as a father than I did a ruthless slave driver. That was why I refer to him by name, and not by his familial title."

Otis rose an eyebrow. "So you're ashamed of him? Or of yourself and your connection to him?"

Lilith's smile died. "A little bit of both," she admitted. "Not every child asks to be born, especially if you were created with the knowledge that your father was responsible for the deaths of an entire people."

"Not an entire people," Otis corrected before he could stop himself. "Only a majority of them."

Lilith looked down at her feet again. "And how was that supposed to lighten my brother and I's knowledge that our father killed countless people?" she asked bitterly.

Otis grimaced. "My apologies," he said before he realized who he was talking to. "I'm still just trying to wrap my head around the fact that you're no longer my people's tormentor. Please, forgive me."

Lilith nodded. "Of course," she said.

The two sat in silence a moment longer, Lilith averting her gaze whenever Otis looked at her and Otis averting his own whenever she did the same. Finally, Otis stood up and stretched, his joints creaking and popping in protest.

"I think we should get back on topic," Otis said as he sat back down. "Now, tell me, woman, how do you know your brother won't follow in your father's footsteps? If what you said is true regarding his first transformation, then he cannot be trusted simply because there's always the risk of his temper flaring up and—"

"You're mistaken about that," Lilith said. "The first time he transformed, he did so unwillingly. Thus, he had no dragonstone to help him control himself. Nobody had expected it, which meant Azura and Queen Mikoto had no time to present the dragonstone to him. The second time it happened, according to Lady Azura, it was in his desperation that drove him to transform unconsciously. Despite transforming unwillingly however, he was in total control. If you worry so much about Corrin turning against us, then we must first worry about our loyalty to him."

Otis frowned, confused. "You—I don't follow. Explain."

"Anankos originally fell into madness because his people abandoned him," Lilith said patiently. "I'm sure Lady Azura has told you of this before, but I'll tell you again. My father founded Valla, essentially. He was revered as a god by the Vallites, and he cared so much for them that when he was offered the chance to ascend and join his fellow dragons, he refused, preferring to serve his people. Over time, however, his sanity started to slip, which was to be expected of such a creature as powerful and old as Anankos. When his people turned on him, that was what drove him over the edge. Similarly, if all of us were to turn on Corrin simply because of his father, how do you know the same thing won't happen?"

Otis tried stammering for an answer, but Lilith interrupted him by leaning forward. "I know it may come as a difficult choice to you right now, especially with scars so fresh, but either you betray Corrin, leaving him hurt and abandoned, making him all the more likely to degenerate like Anankos, or you choose to support him when he needs it. Granted, yes, there is always the chance he  _may_  destroy Valla in the future, but without our support, such an event is all but guaranteed. Whatever you think about our father, think as you wish, but when it comes to my brother, make no mistake, he is a good man."

"So was Anankos," Otis countered. "Again, all you've said to soothe my fears is that 'Oh, Lord Corrin only did it once before, and he didn't have a dragonstone at the time, so naturally he went berserk,' or that 'if we support him, then the chances of him turning on us will go down.' You've never given me concrete evidence about him! All I have to go off on is your own goodwill, but based on your history with my people, I don't even know if what you say can be trustworthy or not!"

Lilith sighed. "I know," she said tiredly. "I know you'll probably never trust or forgive me, and I don't expect you to, but if you ever have any doubts about my brother being a good man or not, just remember how he and Lady Azura interacted. Let that soothe your fears."

Otis frowned and stood up. "W-wait, what do you mean by 'remembering how Lord Corrin and Lady Azura interacted?'" he asked. "What does that even mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Lilith said, also standing up. As she walked towards the door, she looked over her shoulder to look at the older man. "Corrin's greatest strength may be his trust and compassion in people, but that can also be his greatest weakness. An empire toppled by its enemies can always rise again, always rebuild, but one that crumbles from within? That's dead, Otis. Forever."

And just like that, she was gone.

* * *

Otis stared after her, even when the door swung shut and the clacks of her wedges disappeared down the hallway, he still stared after her.

 _One that crumbles from within? What does that mean?_  he said to himself as he laid back down on his bed.

_Remember how Lord Corrin and Lady Azura interacted with each other? What does she want me to see? They're both young, both in love. Lord Corrin's devoted to her, and Lady Azura's devoted to him. They would do anything for each other, and that's something that rarely happened, even back in my day._

Otis chuckled humorlessly.  _Back in my day? Maybe I really am getting old. Maybe times are changing, and maybe for the better._

Sighing as his back popped again, Otis laid back down on his bed, his hand scrabbling blindly for his book. He cursed as he felt the tips of his fingers smash into a picture frame, sending it crashing to the ground.

Otis cursed as again as he tried reaching for the picture frame without actually get up off the bed, with little success. Finally giving in, he rolled over to replace it, and froze as he realized the contents of the picture.

It was a picture of him as his wife on their wedding day, the edges yellowed, torn, and ripped, yet the contents remained as timeless as it had been when Otis had first commissioned it. It was nothing special, just a painting of himself carrying his wife in a bridal carry roughly a week or so after the ceremony. It was one of the last reminders of his past life, a life unscarred by Anankos. He had held onto the picture for all this time, and now that he was free…well, he kept the picture for a decade already, right? What was another few years to him?

Otis chuckled softly to himself as he looked at the portrait's version of himself smiling gently down at his wife. Despite the utter look of bliss on his face at the time, what was  _actually_  going through his head at the time was something more akin to screaming. Who knew carrying one's wife for hours on end could be so exhausting, but he wisely bit his tongue and took the torment in silence.

Everything was worth it to see the look of pure joy on her face.

Suddenly, Otis froze. He took the picture frame in his hand and peered intensely at the expression on the faces of him and his wife in the portrait. The artist had been a part-time mage and had the uncanny ability to convey a more realistic image onto the canvas than had one would be able to by hand, and the results had—and still—amazed Otis at how life-like it appeared.

Everything, from the refractions of light reflecting off his wife's necklace to the reflections of the background in Otis' ceremonial armor was caught perfectly, but what amazed Otis at the time hadn't been the technical skill of the painting—though that was also just as impressive—but rather how it captured the  _soul._

Otis' mind flashed back to when he had talked with Lord Corrin and Lady Azura, and they had started bickering good-naturedly with each other. The look in Lord Corrin's eyes…it was almost an exact replica of the look in Otis' portrait-self.

Otis jumped off the bed and peered even closer at the picture.

 _Nobody could become as evil as Anankos and look at a woman the same way as I did at that time,_  Otis thought to himself.

Otis shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts before finally giving up and simply sitting on his bed, hands clasped together and head bowed as he prayed for wisdom from the gods.

* * *

"Lord Corrin?"

Corrin looked up from where he was working in his study to see Silas peering in, his signature cowlick looking even more unruly than usual. There was a look of unease on the knight's face, but with how mentally drained Corrin was with all the sudden influx of paper work, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Yes?" Corrin said, raising an eyebrow. "Something you need?"

"Uh, Otis said that he wants to talk to you," Silas reported. "Apparently, according to one of the guards, he was banging on the door for a good half hour before they finally listened to him, and the only thing they got out of him was that he wanted to see you."

Corrin groaned and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "Fine, I'll be down there in a moment," he said, picking up his blue cape from where it was slung over a nearby chair.

He paused by the doorway as he gazed longingly at Yato, which was encased in an ornate weapons rack. Ever since Anankos' death, the chainsaw-like teeth had died, the flames snuffing itself out, and the four sockets in the middle of the blade going dark. While the blade remained as sharp as ever, whenever Corrin picked it up he felt no…warmth. No power.

Apparently, much like Azura's pendant and song, Yato's only purpose to contain and kill Anankos, and without the silent dragon terrorizing the world anymore, the Yato had fell into another thousand-year slumber, waiting for the time it would be needed again, though Corrin knew that would never happen. Hopefully.

"Milord?" Silas called. "Are you alright?"

Corrin shook his head to clear his thoughts before following Silas down the stairwell. "Y-yeah," he said, his voice muffled as he tried to clasp the cape on properly. Through gritted teeth, he said, "I was just looking at Yato again."

"Is it still acting up?" Silas asked, his brows furrowed.

Corrin nodded. "Ever since Anankos died, it's…it doesn't feel right. When I hold it, it feels like I'm just holding another broadsword or katana. I don't feel any power, it just feels…empty," he said, shrugging.

"Try letting Odin and Laslow take a look at it," Silas offered helpfully. "I know they don't look it, but their knowledge on swords is actually pretty impressive. I've seen Odin make some sort of sword, except there was a hole for some reason in the middle, so obviously, it fell apart the instant Laslow sparred with him."

Corrin chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Apparently, before he came to this wo—to this land, Odin was actually a very prominent swordsman, a  _swordsmaster_ , if Ini—if Laslow and Selena's tales held any truth."

Silas rose an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he said, rubbing his chin. "Well, in that case, I'd like to ask him about that 'sword hand' I keep hearing him talk about. You think Laslow knows anything about that?"

Corrin smiled and shrugged. "Maybe. All three of them are bound to be competent in some way, otherwise they wouldn't have become my sibling's retainers."

Silas nodded in agreement. "Maybe," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe…"

In front of them, the two guards stationed in front of Otis' room snapped to attention as Corrin and Silas approached him.

"Milord!" one of the guards reported. "The prisoner stated that he wished to speak to you, and—"

"He's not a prisoner," Corrin said gently. "We just needed a place to keep Otis safe until we could figure out how to deal with him."

The guard blinked in surprise before nodding. "Of course, milord," he said, bowing his helmet respectfully. "He's inside right now, if you wish to speak to him."

"I believe I shall," Corrin said as he opened the door. Looking back at Silas and the two guards, he ordered, "Unless you specifically hear the phrase 'Andumee and Fiern at the hill of sorrows, and their flesh like glass,' do not open the door. Do you understand?"

"If I may," Silas interjected, raising a finger, "might I ask what that phrase means?"

"It means nothing, Silas," Corrin replied. "Just some random quote I found in some old romance novel a couple days ago. It really stuck out to me for some reason, and now I can't forget it."

Silas chuckled and nodded thoughtfully. "I see then," he said. "Well in that case, good luck.

* * *

Otis looked up as Corrin gingerly shut the door behind him. "I heard you wanted to talk?" Corrin asked as he pulled up a chair in front of the older man. Otis swallowed nervously and nodded. Despite the coolness of the room, there was a visible sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"I've…been thinking," Otis admitted after a moment of silence. "About the threat you pose to Valla."

Corrin's expression darkened, but he made a  _go on_  gesture with his hand.

Otis licked his chapped lips. Despite mostly assuaging all of his fears, all of his paranoia, all of his caution, there was still a healthy dollop of apprehension in him as he continued.

"I…your sister came by to talk to me yesterday," he said. Corrin rose his eyebrows momentarily in surprise but remained silent, which Otis took as a sign to continue.

Otis took a deep breath.  _No going back now, old man._

In one fluid motion, Otis rose up from his chair and knelt before Corrin, whose eyebrows lifted again in surprise. His long gray ponytail fell back his shoulders, and he thought about moving it for a second, but immediately discarded the thought.

"Lord Corrin," he started, nervously at first but growing in confidence as he spoke. It had been nearly twenty or so years since he last needed to speak the ancient Vallite oath of fealty. "If you shall have me, I offer myself up to you as New Valla's first steward. From here on out, I will swear fealty to you, milord. I swear on my heart that I will, in the future, be faithful to my lord, never cause him harm, and will observe my homage to him against all persons in good faith and without deceit. On the blood of my father, and on the blood of my son, I swear to you, milord, that I shall remain faithful to you, either until the end of my days, or until you deem me unfit for service."

Corrin blinked as he awkwardly rose up. "Uh, I…accept?" he said hesitatingly, adjusting his cape. "I mean, Otis, you really don't have to do it so formally, you know. You can literally just walk up to me, tell me that you want to serve me, and Azura and I can take care of the paperwork, right?"

"Maybe in the future," Otis remarked. "But I felt it fitting to do so as New Valla's first steward, and even more so for its first king."

Corrin lifted his eyebrows in surprise as a smile broke out on his face. "So, you made up your mind then about me?"

Otis smiled back, though nearly not as large. "Mostly," he admitted. "I admit, there are a few fears that I still have of you, but most of them are simply due to my previous experiences with dragons. I hope you understand."

Corrin nodded. "Oh, of course. Absolutely," he said. "If I may, Otis, what caused you to change heart?"

Otis smiled and bowed his head. "You can thank your sister for that," he said. "She…reminded me to remember how you and Lady Azura were together, and that brought up…many buried memories. Without overwhelming you with my personal life, I simply felt that nobody could scheme to destroy New Valla while looking at the love of their life like that."

"Like what?" Corrin asked, confused.

Otis sighed and shook his head. "It's…a complicated explanation," he admitted. "You'd have to ask the merchant who painted the wedding picture of my wife and I together, but once you see it, you'll understand."

"Maybe I will," Corrin mused, rubbing his chin with his hand before realizing what he just said. "Not that I need a wedding picture yet!" he corrected chuckling nervously. "I mean, I don't think it's physically possible for us to plan—never mind. Do…do you remember what the merchant's name was?"

Otis looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling as he tried to recall. "I doubt that she's still alive, considering how she was one of the few who actively resisted Anankos' coup, but I remember her name going somewhere along the line of 'Ada' or 'Anne.'" Shaking his head, Otis said, "I'm sorry, milord. I'm afraid I don't remember."

"Oh. That's alright," Corrin said, not bothering to hide his disappointment, no matter how small.

"So…what do you plan to do now?" he asked.

Otis rose an eyebrow. "You're the king, milord. You're the one to give me responsibilities and whatnot."

"First off, I'm not king yet," Corrin corrected. "I haven't been coronated yet, and Azura hasn't abdicated the throne to me yet, which means I'm still technically a prince, so—"

"That matters not to me," Otis said. "As far as I'm concerned, you are the only king of New Valla, and I shall treat you as so."

"Now you're starting to sound like Jakob," Corrin said with an exaggerated groan. "Swearing fealty to this and swearing fealty to that."

Otis smiled. "Yes, well, I'm not your butler, now am I? I'm your steward, and that's a  _very_  big difference."

"You bet there is," Corrin shot back as he knocked on the door, forgetting for a moment his instructions to the guards outside. "At least you have a sense of humor."

Corrin frowned as the door remained shut. "Hey, we're done in here!" he shouted. "Otis can be set free!"

"Your secret quote, milord!" Silas shouted back, his voice muffled by the door between them. "You told us not to open the door unless you shouted some sort of quote!"

Corrin scratched his head. "Huh. Figures that  _that's_  the only thing he pays attention to whenever we talk," he muttered.

"By the way," Silas' voice continued, "Felicia came by and she told me that the book that came from was actually a line from a very…uh, let's just say it was written for erotica purposes."

Corrin flushed a scarlet red as he whirled on Otis. "Say nothing of this," he hissed, though Otis could tell he wasn't genuinely upset.

Otis shrugged and stepped back, his hands raised placatingly. "You see them once, you've seen them all."


	14. Chapter 14

Corrin slowly climbed the worn steps up to one of the watchtowers built in New Gyges. It was close to sunset, and through the slits in the curved way to his right, he could see the shadow-streaked buildings of New Gyges, as well as the hazy fields outside the city and, as he spiraled around, the dark clouds perpetually hanging over The Bottomless Canyon, though Corrin and Azura had noted with some interest that once Anankos died, the sky above the yawning chasm seemed to brighten up considerably.

The tower was tall, and Corrin was tired. He wished he could've flown up to wherever they were meeting in the watchtower, but with the recent number of Vallite refugees trickling in, and with the wounds of the past still to recent for them, he decided to remain in his human form, at least until he knew they would accept his alternate self. Otis had stayed faithful to his promise, and no word of Corrin's heritage had escaped to anyone besides himself, Otis, Azura, Lilith, and Leo, according to Azura.

In a way, Corrin felt somewhat bitter at having to keep his blood a secret from all save for those closest to him, but he knew the consequences of having the general populace learn of his draconic heritage. Many Vallites still held animosities towards dragons in general, not just Anankos, which meant any rumors of Corrin or Lilith being dragons springing up now had to be put down quickly and quietly, else chaos would ensue, and with New Valla still in its infant stage, that  _could not_  happen.

Corrin yawned as he put one foot in front of another. It had been a long day, and right then, he wanted nothing more than to sit with Azura and drink a cup of hot coffee or tea while watching the light fade from the sky. But, as always, there was always just one more thing to be done.

It had been about a month or so since Anankos' death, and by extension, three weeks since the surviving Vallite slaves had been rescued and those who escaped Anankos' wrath nearly two decades ago started to trickle into New Valla, curious about their new ruler. Already, news of the "Invisible War," as the people had already dubbed it, were spreading all over Hoshido and Nohr, and a peace treaty had already been drafted, passed, and put into effect, effectively ending the decades-long war that the two nations had been embroiled in.

Already, most of the surviving members of his elite guard had split off to find their own paths in life now that the newfound peace rendered their services unnecessary. His siblings' retainers had, of course, remained with their respective, but soon, only Jakob, Kaze, Otis, Flora, Felicia, Gunter, Silas, and Mozu remained out of his original elite guard, along with a smattering of soldiers, mostly those who had fought in the Invisible War and survived to tell the tale and were loyal to Corrin and his beliefs, no matter how idealistic they might've been at first.

Corrin grimaced unconsciously as thoughts about the toll the war with Anankos had taken on the populations of both Hoshido and Nohr. Nearly  _ten thousand_  people died. That was nearly ten thousand family lines or legacies dead, all in the course of less than a week.

Thankfully, with the official decrees Ryoma and Xander sent out mere days after Anankos' death, the families who lost loved ones had  _seemed_ forgiving enough, according to his older siblings, but then again, it was always easier to smile and lie than to truly forgive someone.

Corrin chest tightened as he thought of Azura. He had only seen Azura twice that day. She had spent most of her day helping the Vallites settling in and taking care of her own share of paperwork needed to coronate her as the official queen of New Valla, abdicating the throne to him,  _and then_  even more paperwork dealing with her new official status as Queen-Consort. To Corrin's envy, she had completed nearly all of that in the same amount of time it took for him to do his own share of stateswork.

Granted, planning the formation and birth of a new country was expected to take longer, but Corrin couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous of Azura for completing her share so quickly, though they had both laughed about it during one of their rare moments together.

It seemed as if the stairs of the tower would never end. He trudged upward and upward, round and round, until the people in the fledgling streets between the newly-built buildings outside New Gyges' walls appears as small as ants. His calves and the back of his ankles burned from the repetitive motion. He saw the nests of birds built within the narrow windows, and beneath one window, he found a pile of small skeletons: the leavings of a hawk or eagle.

When at last the top of the winding staircase appeared, he paused to gather his thoughts and allow his breathing to slow. Then he climbed the last few feet, lifted the hatch, and pushed forward into the large round chamber atop the ancient watchtower.

Waiting for him were six people, along with Azura: Ryoma and Xander, Leo, Takumi, and Otis. They stood—or in the case of Otis—sat in a widely spaced circle, with Azura directly opposite the stairs, before the southern-facing window that beautifully illuminate the curves of her cheeks and cast her body in a golden light.

Corrin felt his heart skip a beat.

The light from the dying chamber streamed sideways through the chamber, illuminating the ancient carvings upon the walls and the intricate pattern of colored stone set within the chipped floor.

As Corrin opened the door, they all looked at him, and a wide smile broke out across Azura's face as she briskly walked over to him and gave him a brief hug. "Corrin!" she exclaimed, happy to see him. Evidently, she had missed him as much as he missed her.

Corrin smiled and nodded. "Hey there," he greeted as he gently patted her head before crossing the room so that he was standing next to Azura's previous position.

She followed him and surreptitiously wrapped her fingers around his as he looked around the room.

No one in the room seemed willing to speak first. From the city below, Corrin heard a horse whinny. Off by the castle came the rapping of picks and chisels as workers tried to renovate the castle. Otis shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but when Corrin made eye contact him, he winked back almost jovially.

Finally, Xander broke the silence. "We have a decision to make," he said.

"We know," Takumi grumbled, arms crossed.

"Let him speak," Ryoma chided, and gestured with his hand. "The war is over now. There's no need for any bitterness or hidden animosity in our interactions anymore."

"Well said," Xander said. Looking around the room at everyone of them, he said, "There is no hiding that Anankos is dead. Even now, word of Corrin and Azura's victory wings its way across the land. I reckon that by the end of the week, Anankos' demise and the newfound peace between Hoshido and Nohr will be known to all save for those in the most remote of locations."

"As it should be," Corrin said.

"As it should be," Xander agreed, nodding. "But, as people learn that Anankos has fallen, and that New Valla is being rebuilt in the ashes of the original, the first question people will ask is who has taken his place." Xander looked around at their faces. "We should provide them with an official answer now before unrest begins to spread. King Garon is dead. Queen Mikoto is dead. Rumors aplenty are afoot, I'm sure. It is important that we quell them before they cause harm. To delay would be disastrous. We cannot allow every lord in New Valla's border with a measure of troops to believe that this new land at the southern tip of The Bottomless Canyon is an opportunity to set themselves up as ruler of their own petty monarchy. Should that happen, New Valla will disintegrate into dozens of different kingdoms. Corrin, Azura. This is your responsibility. None of us want that. A successor must be chosen—chosen and named, however difficult that may be."

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Why, then, do I and Leo need to be here?"

"Because we're not just here to discuss out kingdom's future," Leo replied, rolling his eyes. "This meeting is also supposed to be the quote-end-quote 'official' peace summit between New Valla, Hoshido, and Nohr. So, if I were you, I'd—"

"Relax, Leo," Corrin said rested a hand on his younger step-brother's shoulder. Looking at Xander, he said, "I agree. Azura and I have already talked about this topic in great lengths beforehand, and together, we've decided on who should be the new ruler of New Valla."

Ryoma's eyebrows furrowed. "Azura, you are the rightful queen of Valla, are you not? What are—"

"I plan to abdicate my position to Corrin, so that I may serve by his side as Queen-Consort," she said stiffly and formally.

The chamber fell silent, save for the scratching of a feather quill as Leo scribbled something down on a parchment.

"You're sure about this?" Ryoma asked. "Once you abdicate—"

"I'm sure," Azura said firmly, and Corrin squeezed her hand supportively. She had never been comfortable talking so confidently in front of so many people, even if most of them were her siblings. "I've already completed the paperwork required for this change in power, and I'm simply more comfortable serving Corrin away from the eyes of the masses."

"That's to expected, especially from one as shy and reserved as you," Leo noted. Glancing at Otis, he asked, "Did you get that?"

"Of course, milord," Otis said, nodding.

"What's he doing here?" Corrin finally asked.

"He's apparently here to write down the conversation as it plays out, word for word," Takumi explained sharply. "Which means that unless you want your servant to do extra work, you keep your comments to a minimum."

"Takumi!" Azura and Ryoma said sharply.

"Oh, it's not a problem!" Otis said, oblivious to the sudden sharpness in Azura and Ryoma's tones. "Trust me, serving King Theophilus for so long more than prepared me for serving the future king of New Valla."

Corrin bit his tongue but remained silent, not even bothering to spare a glance towards Takumi. Takumi and Corrin never got along very well, what with Takumi's prickly attitude. Though they had never come close to blows or unfettered insults, it was clear to everyone that Takumi still hadn't forgiven Corrin for his "betrayal" of Hoshido over a year ago, despite the knowledge of a greater threat looming on the horizon.

Some grudges last a long time.

Xander cleared his throat. "If we could get back on topic, our next problem is determining  _who_  Azura abdicated her throne to."

Despite the formality of his words, Corrin could tell by how bored Xander's eyes seemed to be that he was only speaking about such a derivative topic for formality's sake, rather than genuine confusion or curiousity.

"I plan to abdicate the throne to Corrin," Azura said, equally dully.

"To nobody's surprise," Takumi muttered.

"What did you say about keeping comments to yourself?" Leo asked.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"How about we both shut up?" Takumi shot back.

"Er, please don't put that in the script," Corrin said nervously to Otis, who looked up in confusion at the sudden string of insults traded between the two princes.

"Ah, of course," he said, hastily scratching out some lines. "I suppose it wouldn't do to hear about how the two princes of Hoshido and Nohr bickered back and forth at was supposed to be an official peace summit."

"Well, that's settled," Corrin said with finality as he looked around the room. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"Yes, there is," Ryoma said. He gestured around the room. "As you know, Corrin, Xander and I have our own kingdoms to run now. I'm afraid that means that by the end of the week, it'll be the last of us that you'll see for a good while."

Corrin blinked. "You're leaving?" he asked. Part of him felt so silly for asking such a stupid question. Of course they were going to leave eventually. Who was he to naively believe their little fellowship could remain together forever? He supposed he just didn't expect to depart so soon, if you could call a month  _soon_.

Xander nodded. "I'm afraid Nohr is still undergoing a bit of a recession. Ironically, despite our father being one of the main reasons why we were in said recession in the first place, reports say that things seemed to have worsened since his death, unfortunately."

"Same in Hoshido," Takumi muttered. "Plus, we've been here in New Valla for too long. We need to get back. There's already been whispers of rebellion going around. We need to take care of that immediately"

"When are you leaving?" Corrin asked.

"Either tomorrow morning or the end of the week," Leo replied, avoiding his gaze.

"Today's the sixth day of the week," Corrin deadpanned. "Both could apply."

"T—you know what I mean!" Leo snapped, uncharacteristically looking flushed for once. "And since we're on the subject on us leaving for our home countries, Sakura's coming back with me to Nohr."

Corrin rose an eyebrow as Azura smiled faintly. "Sakura?" he asked. To his left, Azura nodded mirthfully, struggling to hide the mischievous smile on her lips. "I see you've decided to court her?" he asked Leo.

Before Leo could respond, Takumi interjected by saying teasingly, "It was inevitable, really. You should've seen how he confessed to her. All tears and getting down on one knee and all. You know, the dramatic way."

"I did not!" Leo snapped. Them with an air of indifferent indignance, he added, "I asked for her hand the  _proper_  way, which brings up my next point. If you're planning on courting your own retainer, that automatically renders your opinion and advice on others' relationship moot."

Ryoma chuckled as Takumi turned red. "Well, then, I suppose now would be a bad time to bring up that Camilla's coming with me to Hoshido then, isn't it?" he asked playfully.

Corrin gaped at Ryoma before noticing Xander's crestfallen expression. He had been courting Charlotte during the war, and she had died of her injuries shortly after Anankos' death, which made it all the more tragic once Corrin realized Xander had already bought a ring. Corrin immediately wiped the smile off his face, noticing Azura did the same. Noticing his sudden change in disposition, everyone followed Corrin's gaze to Xander and soon, the room was as silent as it had been when Corrin entered.

Takumi coughed awkwardly. Leo twirled a feather around in his fingers, his eyes drifted towards the ceiling as if he was lost in thought, though Corrin could tell by the way he tapped his foot that he felt just as nervous and awkward as the rest of them. Xander continued staring down at his boots. Ryoma tightened his grip on Raijinto, Azura tightened her grip on Corrin's hand and Corrin pursed his lips as he tried to think of a way to continue the conversation. Only Otis remained blissfully unperturbed, scribbling down their words onto his parchment.

Finally, Corrin managed to break the silence by choking out, "I guess we'll miss you.  _Both_  of us." He squeezed Azura's hand.

Catching on, she nodded. "Yes, we'll miss you dearly," she said hastily. Then, trying to lighten the mood, she added cheekily, "All of you. Even Takumi."

"Hey!"

Xander chuckled morosely. "I could say the same for us," he said solemnly. "Don't worry though, we'll make sure to show up for the coronation and wedding."

"Speaking of which, when is it?" Leo asked.

"Which one?" Corrin asked.

"The wedding."

Corrin and Azura both blushed and looked away from each other. "Ah yes, well, I haven't  _exactly_  proposed yet, so—"

"You haven't?" Takumi asked. "Then how come—"

"Please, Takumi," Ryoma said exasperatedly. "They're grown adults, for gods' sakes. Not to mention they're the future king and queen of Valla."

"New Valla," Corrin corrected. "And trust me, Ryoma, I still haven't forgotten that  _talk_  you gave me."

Now it was Xander and Ryoma's turn to turn red as they spluttered for a comeback. Azura smiled and squeezed Corrin's hand again, him squeezing back in return. As per her usual habits, she tried to edge in between him and the wall, so that she could hide behind him, away from prying eyes, as was her habit. He shifted to allow her space, and she was soon peering out at her siblings all cavorting with each other from behind Corrin, Otis looking up in confusion at the sudden change in mood.

"Uh, is the meeting adjourned?" he asked. "D-do you still need me to take notes?"

Azura smiled as Corrin pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry, we'll see them again," he said reassuringly as she kissed him back on the cheek.

"I know," she said. Teasingly, she added, "I just wanted to make sure you didn't cry."

"I never cry."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, unless, you know, friends or family happen to be involved."

"I'm pretty sure that applies to  _everybody,_ Corrin."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say."


	15. Interlude: A Dark Reunion

Becker sighed, his breath misting in the frigid mountain blizzard. "Why do we even need to stand out here?" he asked his companion, a man barely past the age of twenty with chocolate-brown hair that reached down to his shoulders, though it was currently tied into a neat ponytail.

The other guard sighed as well, though more out of exasperation at having to hear his companion complain about their job for the  _fourteenth_ time in the last half-hour.

"Why do we even need to get paid?" he replied, his voice dripping with poorly concealed sarcasm. "I mean, it's almost as if it's our  _job_  to, you know,  _guard_  stuff."

Becker sighed again, rolling his eyes and waving a hand dismissively. "You know what I mean, Andros. I'm just saying, why do we need to be out here, of all times? It's the middle of the bleeding  _winter_ , ain't it? Bears are supposed to be sleepin' their asses off, and no bandit would even bother trying to break into a manor that they can't even properly see without wiping away a foot of snow from their eyes," he complained. "Like, think about it. Am I right, or am I right?"

Andros grit his teeth at his partner's incessant chattering, regretting asking the captain to switch him out with the more fortunate guard, who was undoubtedly sleeping his head off back in his quarters. But there was a reason why he asked to be out in a shift with Becker, possibly the loosest definition of a guard.

"Tamora's convoy is almost two days late, Becker," he reminded, exasperated. "There's no way we can send out soldiers to go look for them until this storm dies down, which means until then, we need to keep an eye out for her and her men."

Becker cocked an eyebrow. " _Tamora_ , huh? Since when did you two start on a  _first-name_  basis?"

Andros flushed red as he thought back to the last time he saw his paramour before she traveled to Castle Krackenburg to participate in a yearly gathering of nobles in King Garon's court. Of course, that was before King Garon suddenly vanished into thin air, only for a decree issued by Prince Xander himself declaring that the war with Hoshido was over and that he would be absent for another two weeks so he could draft a treaty with Prince Ryoma to secure peace between the two kingdoms.

At first, Andros had been suspicious. There was no way the war with Hoshido could be over, right? But then news of how there was an "invisible" kingdom started spreading, and as much as Andros wanted to think it as some kind of hoax, as the news spread further and further, and as more and more things made sense—things that had seemed improbable or outright impossible, such as the destruction of Cyrkensia despite neither Nohr or Hoshido being there—the more he bought into the news. Secretly, however, he was relieved, since it likely meant he would never be forced into the frontlines against Hoshido, which meant he could finally quit his job as a lowly guard and follow in his father's footsteps of being an artist.

But the real reason he was relieved was because it meant he could finally propose and marry Tamora and build a happy future for her. He had already bought the ring, and even through the thick woolen overcoat he wore over his armor to protect him from the winter chills, he could still feel the velvet box tucked against his chest.

They had met during their youth, when Duke Eliwen, Tamora's father, hired his father to paint a portrait of him and his family. As Andros was of age at that time, his father decided to bring him along, and the instant Tamora looked at him, his heart belonged to hers.

To his delight, she reciprocated his feelings, and surprisingly, both Duke Eliwen and his father approved of their match, though he knew it was because of a chance to further his own career for his father, but Duke Eliwen seemed genuinely happy for him and his daughter. Later, he would learn why it had been so difficult to find a suitor for Tamora.

She was brash, demanding, somewhat spoiled, and extremely aggressive, yet those words of caution did nothing but strengthen his feelings for her, which both surprised and pleased Duke Eliwen. In a strange twist of fate, Andros had ended up serving as a guard for Duke Eliwen, much to both of their delight. Andros had already asked Duke Eliwen for his permission to marry his daughter, and he had readily agreed, which meant the only thing they were waiting on now was the woman herself.

Unfortunately, with the duke nearing the end of his natural life and unfit to brave the harsh climate, Tamora was forced to go in his place. None of them were happy, least of all Tamora, but Duke Eliwen's heart laid with Nohr, and so she reluctantly set off on her journey to Castle Krackenburg.

That had been over a month ago.

Now, with the news that King Garon was dead, that Nohr and Hoshido were now at peace with each other, and that Prince Xander was their new king spreading to even the most remote of locations, courtesy of Nohrian blizzard pigeons, a bird specifically bred to brave the harshness of almost anything Nohr can throw at it, not just cold weather. Tamora had sent him and her father a letter saying that she was on her way back to the estate to tell them about the new peace treaty.

Duke Eliwen was relatively displeased at the prospect of having to share his land with the Hoshidans and had angrily ranted until a healer cast a sleeping spell over him lest he have a heart attack and die right then and there.

"Hey, uh, you there?"

Andros blinked in surprise as Becker snapped his fingers under his nose. "W-wait, what?"

Becker rolled his eyes and lightly slapped the side of Andros' helm. "Uh, well, Dusk Dragon to Andros! You've been staring off into empty space for the past three minutes. Did you even hear what I said?"

Andros shook his head, righting his helmet where Becker had inadvertently tilted it. "No, my apologies. Must've spaced out there for a moment. Repeat, please?"

Becker rolled his eyes. "And you always call me out for not paying attention on guard duty," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Hypocrite."

"Do you want to speak your mind or not?" Andros said. "If not, then shut up and keep an eye out for Tamora!"

Becker grinned again and gently pushed Andros in the shoulder. "Ah, yeah, as I was saying, since when did you and  _Lady Tamora_ start referring to each other using only your first names?"

"It's none of your business," Andros said brusquely, turning away.

"Ah, but I think everything's my business when there's a  _lady_  walking around!" Becker drawled, slinging an arm around Andros' shoulder.

"I mean, I think Lady Tamora's got a pretty nice arse, don't you think?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows. "Plus, her chest?  _Mmph!_  Whatever's holding those things up, it might as be a bookshelf, 'cause the amount of 'plot' those 'books' have is enough to fill an entire library! If you know what I'm saying," he added, winking.

"No. I don't." Andros coldly lifted Becker's arm off himself. "I have several things wrong with that statement," he deadpanned. "First off, I fail to make the connection between Tamora's chest and a library—"

Becker rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead. "Come  _on!_  Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

"Second off, have you been drinking?"

"Only a little bit," Becker admitted. "I had a glass before I showed up, so I guess—"

"Thirdly," Andros continued, his voice even colder than before. " _Thirdly_ , the next time you talk about my beloved like that, I will use that pathetic toothpick you call a sword to perform a circumcision on you while wearing a blindfold."

Becker looked down at his sword, a notched, almost rusting longblade, then his groin, then back up at Andros who continued to stare unwaveringly at him.

"Alright," he said. "Fair point."

Suddenly, his eyes widened as he picked up on what Andros said. "Wait, your  _lover?"_  he blurted.

Andros gritted his teeth. "Yes, my lover," he said, pulling away his overcoat from his body long enough to show Becker the tiny velvet box tucked away in its pockets.

Becker's eyes, if possible, became even wider and looked up at Andros then back down at the box, and then back up, all the way until Andros hid the box from Becker's view. "No way," he breathed.

"You  _proposing_  to the duke's own daughter?" Becker said loudly. He clapped Andros soundly on the shoulder and punched him lightly in the gut. "Nice going, man!" he said. "You got taste!"

Andros grunted as he pushed Becker away, though he couldn't keep a small smile from appearing out on his face. "Yes, well, maybe you should learn how to talk to a woman that doesn't involve pointing out her chest. Maybe then you'll actually get laid one day."

"I don't just compliment her curves though," Becker mumbled. "I compliment her attire too…"

"Have you been taking lessons from that retainer of Prince Xander's? The womanizer?" Andros asked, rolling his eyes.

Becker nodded reluctantly. "He sounded knowledgeable," he admitted.

"Knowledgeable with being arrested for sexual harassment and disturbing the peace, maybe," Andros snapped back, exasperated. "But with women? Please, I think you're better off without his 'advice.'"

Becker opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, his eyes widened. He stumbled back, hands already going to his sword before he slumped back against the wall, an arrow buried in his mouth.

Andros reacted instantly, ducking behind a nearby pillar. Remembering his training, he only peeked out from behind the pillar exposing only his nose, not his whole head. His amber eyes darted around, trying to find some sign of their attacker in the wall of white around him.

Beside him, Becker twitched one last time, trying to pull the arrow out of his mouth before finally giving up and dying. Andros wasted a brief moment to utter a silent prayer for his partner, despite his lewdness and laziness, but that one moment proved to be a mistake.

The instant his eyes closed in prayer, an explosion rang throughout the night, throwing him back against a wall and all but incinerating the remains of Becker's cooling corpse. The pillar cracked, but barely held.

Andros slammed into the wall and fell to the floor, his vision blurry. Distantly, he could hear the other guards shouting before mysteriously falling silent, but all he could care at the moment was watching the figure stepping out of the blizzard and slowly approaching him.

Andros' eyes widened as Tamora stared back at him, her fists clenched around some sort of book. Despite the cold, she was still dressed in her normal travelling clothes, but even that oddity faded as Andros looked his lover in the eyes.

To his shock, they were red, as red as the Nohrian blood moon.

"T-tammy?" he whispered, for his vision was already going dark around the edges even as he weakly reached out towards her. "Y-your eyes…"

Tamora's eyes only narrowed in what looked like contempt before she opened the book, flipped to a seemingly random page, and began reading, her voice layered with what was undoubtedly magic. Andros could only watch numbly as she performed whatever kind of spell she was trying to cast, and with an abrupt  _snap_  of the tome shutting, Tamora knelt down close to him, their faces scarcely more than a couple inches apart.

"You are mine, now," she whispered, and her voice was like a slithery snake that crawled inside Andros' ears and made him want to wriggle inside.

Despite his wounds, Andros tried to lean away. "W-what?"

Tamora said nothing, save for making a shushing motion with her fingers. Then a sharp pain erupted in his chest and the back of his head, and everything went black.

* * *

Iago frowned in concentration as he quickly read off the words needed for the spell to be completed. He had tried this particular spell six times before already, but of those six times, only three of those attempts had worked out in his favor. The rest of the time, he had to immediately destroy his failed creations.

Luckily, the three guards he had "persuaded" to join his cause were ten times the fighter they would've been in life. If that hadn't been the case, assaulting the manor with a tome, three men, and a half-mask would've seemed laughable at best and suicidal at worst, but when you added in Anankos' favor… _then_  it becomes an entirely different story.

In front of him, the guard's corpse twitched slightly, before jumping to his feet with the fluidity and agility of a trained dancer before stooping down to pick up his discarded weapon. To Iago's pleasure, when the undead guard turned to him, his eyes shone red, and a purple mist seemed to drift off his body, though Iago would know it would soon fade.

"Who are you?" Iago asked. He wasn't actually curious, of course, but it would always do to know the former identities of his puppets, in case they held a particularly powerful position or title.

"Andros of the house of Vincei's," the guard immediately replied.

Iago couldn't help but hide a smirk behind his hand. The spell had worked, and it was getting exponentially easier to cast and perform. Lord Anankos' gift was already proving it's worth.

"Who is in charge here?" he asked the puppet.

"Duke Eliwen, father of Lady Tamora," the guard replied. Then, sensing his master's thoughts, he added, "He is currently in his bedroom, resting."

"How is he?" Iago asked, voice dripping with false-concern.

The guard took a moment to think, not that Iago let him, for as soon he mentally pulled on his leash, the guard immediately replied, "He is sixty-four years old as of this coming winter. He is currently afflicted with a cold. He is likely he will not survive the month."

Iago smirked again. Good. All he has to do now is make his death believable.

"Good, take me to him," he ordered.

* * *

Duke Eliwen's eyes snapped open as a muffled  _boom_  shook the room. Grunting in pain as his swelled joints popped and creaked, he slowly sat up, his gnarled hands reaching blindly for his glasses. Upon setting his spectacles over his eyes, he looked around before one of the guards—Jenson, he remembered—burst into the room, breath ragged and a panicked look in his eyes.

"Duke Eliwen!" he shouted. "Duke Eliwen!"

"What is it, boy?" Eliwen asked, struggling to swing his legs over the edge of the bed. The action which had seemed so easy scarcely more than a week ago left his legs aching and back popping.

"Please, don't strain yourself, sir!" Jensen said, walking closer to him.

Eliwen waved a hand dismissively. "Please, it's not like I'm going to magically get younger any time soon," he said sardonically. "Now, tell me, what's going on? What was that explosion I heard?"

Jensen, being the wonderful young soul he was, ignored Eliwen's dismissive comment and sheathed his sword to help Eliwen to his feet.

That was the last thing the boy did.

Eliwen blinked and recoiled in shock as a shower of blood sprayed him head to toe. As he wiped the blood off his glasses, he looked at the sudden hole in Jensen's chest with horror. So clean was the blow that Eliwen was able to literally see straight through him.

The boy looked down, an expression of utter surprise and terror on his face. He looked up at Eliwen one last time before the wound took its toll, and he wordlessly slid to the ground, his partially-sheathed sword clattering against the ground.

Eliwen pushed the image of the boy's distraught face out of his mind as he stooped down to pick up the youth's fallen sword, his back popping. Too many times, he had seen similar expressions on similar boys seconds before Hoshidan ninjas cut them down. He never wanted to get used to such a grisly sight, but get used to it he did, much to his own disgust.

As he stood back up, Eliwen froze at the sight of two red lights staring back out at him in the darkened corridor outside his bedroom. As Eliwen shakily leveled his fallen guard's sword towards the light, the sword just as quickly clattered to the ground as a woman stepped into the light.

"T…Tamora?" Eliwen rasped, stepping towards her. He reached out towards with all the parental instinct he could muster in his aging body. "Tamora? What's going on?"

His daughter returned the hug easily enough, though a bit stiffly as she said, "Everything is fine, Eliwen. I'm…just  _rearranging_  a few things."

Eliwen frowned as he pulled back. "'Eliwen?' What happened to 'father?'"

It was only then that he remembered the red lights glaring at him from the hallway, and his eyes widened as his brown pupils met red.

"Tamora? What have you—"

The woman's eyes glinted dangerously before Eliwen suddenly grunted and stepped backward, some sort of purple miasma floating around his chest before sinking into his body. His hands came up to feel the place where the cloud had sunk into him before a stabbing pain shot through his chest.

He collapsed to the floor, coughing and struggling for breath as he looked up at his daughter. There was a sinister smirk on Tamora's face as she effortlessly lifted him up and set him down on his bed. With a snap of her finger, the blood pooling around Jensen's corpse and onto the bled vanished, and the boy's corpse was flung disrespectfully out of the room, splattering against the wall.

" _Oops_ ," Tamora said sadistically, as she folded Eliwen's hands over his chest. "Guess I'll have to find someone to fix that mass, right,  _father?"_

Eliwen had no strength left in him to fight against the intruder, but he managed to gasp out, "You're…not…my…d…daughter."

Not-Tamora grinned wickedly again as she swept the blanket onto him. "Of course I am!" she said cheerfully, in a manner inconsistent with the evil smile plastered on his beautiful face. "I mean, who else but your daughter is going to take over for you after you die peacefully in your sleep?"

Eliwen's eyes narrowed, his eyes vision going dark. "You…son of…a…"

Tamora tutted and waggled her finger at him. "Nuh-uh-uh! No cursing allowed here!" she said in a sing-song voice before she rested her palm against Eliwen's chest, directly over his heart.

He felt the imposter's hand push once, twice, thrice into his chest, and then a another sharp burst of pain exploded across his entire body, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

His heart continued to beat.

_BA-BUMP._

Once.

_BA-BUMP._

Twice.

_BA-BA-BUMP._

Thrice.

And then it remained still.

* * *

Iago sighed and mentally patted himself on the back as he lifted his hands from the old man's chest. He grinned again to himself as he crossed over to the desk on the other side of the room.

Sweeping a critical eye over the deceased duke's belongings, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Lord Anankos' will  _will_ be carried out


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

Corrin waved melancholy from the top of the castle walls as he watched the wyverns ferrying Xander, Leo, Elise, and Sakura shrink into nothing as they winged their way back towards Nohr's border. Ryoma, Takumi, Hinoka, and Camilla did the same but on pegasi instead. Below them, on the ground, the rabble of soldiers who elected to return home to their families instead of settling down in New Valla slowly vanished over the horizon.

Beside him, Azura rested a hand on his shoulder. "We'll see them again," she said soothingly.

"I know," he replied simply before turning away and walking down the steps to the castle courtyard where Silas and Kaze were already waiting for them, with Felicia and Mozu standing closely behind them.

Contrary to Corrin's expectations, the entire leave-taking was a lot less dramatic than he had anticipated, especially when compared to the amount of work it took to bring the two groups together in the first place. The retainers had, as expected, left with their respective royals, and Ryoma and Xander had been generous enough to station a portion of their forces that had remained in their world to act as a temporary standing military. At first, Corrin had been concerned that old grudges would resurface without the royals to watch over their men, but to his surprise, the two groups managed to cooperate together with nary a raised voice.

Though Azura assured that it was mainly because of his charisma and kindness towards both factions, Corrin felt that it had little to do with his prowess as a leader. Ryoma and Xander had taken great care in picking warriors who were to remain in Valla to act as the temporary standing military, selecting only those with a reputation for a quick blade, sound judgement, and, above all, a calm and even disposition. Luckily, most of the soldiers who were chosen to remain in Valla also lived relatively close to the fledging kingdom's lands, which was already a boon in of itself. The fact that several of the soldiers who remained in Valla were also the same ones who made that fateful journey into the ruined land was also a boon, as their interactions with members from their "archenemies" set an example for the rest of the army to follow.

Members of his personal guard slowly leave one by one, returning to their homes and duties until only a handful remain. Silas and Kaze—who Corrin had assigned the position of being his personal retainers scarcely less than two days ago—had obviously chosen the stay, along with Flora, Felicia, Jakob, and Mozu.

The farm girl, with her village destroyed, people killed, and land salted, had nowhere to call a home, so Corrin had graciously asked her to stay with them until either she found herself a new place to live or until she finally married Kaze so she could move in with him. What followed was an uncharacteristic spluttering and embarrassed neck-rubbing from the normally collected ninja, much to everyone's chagrin.

As for those who lost loved ones? Corrin didn't have an answer for them. He found himself unable to do anything more than mutely pat the person on the shoulder and tell them that there will always be friends and a place for them to stay in New Valla, should they decide to visit. It seemed paltry in comparison to the amount of anguish the loss of a loved one would undoubtedly cause, and Corrin often found himself thanking the deities for allowing Azura to live through, but it was the best he could offer.

Soon after his siblings leave, the weeks stared to pass both quickly and slowly for him and Azura. Quickly because there was still much for him and Azura to do to prepare for New Valla's future, and rare was the day that they were not mentally exhausted by sundown. Slowly because despite the mountain of tasks ahead of him, Corrin still often felt like they were idling in a patch of becalmed water, waiting for something, anything, to push them back into the main current.

He stayed for another month or so in New Valla following his siblings' departure, helping establish the fledgling kingdom's presence and throughout the surrounding area. Much of that time was spent riding across the nation, informing nearby nobles and dukes about the new changes coming to their territories and, more often than not, dealing with said nobles and dukes who were outraged at being forced to rub shoulders with their "sworn enemies."

He also spent much time hunting down groups of soldiers who had deserted either the Hoshidan or Nohrian army, unable to cope with the fact that they were now allies with each other and so they turned to preying upon nearby travelers, peasants, and estates to support themselves. Thankfully, following putting down said deserters, the nobles became more willing to listen to his words, and rare became the times where he found himself sleeping out in the countryside instead of in the noble's estate.

While on his journey, Corrin noticed that everyone—Hoshidan, Nohrian, Vallite, Nestrian, didn't matter—treated him differently than they had before Anankos' death. They were even more respectful and deferential, especially the Vallites, and they regarded him and Azura—but mostly him, much to his chagrin—with what he slowly came to understand was a sense of awe. It's not like anyone could've ended the life of a mad god, after all.

At first, he enjoyed it, despite his earlier misgivings about Azura not getting nearly enough credit. Azura did not seem to care one way or another, saying that she was happy with supporting him from the shadows, to which Corrin pursed his lips together, troubled, but the sudden attention began to bother him when he realized that many of the people were so eager to please him, that they would tell him whatever they thought he anted to hear and not the actual truth. Plus, there were some who started to look at him as a god, with even a couple dukes outright saying so.

That troubled him greatly, and out of habit, he rubbed his dragonstone with his thumb, feeling the ethereal flow of power wash over him. The discovery unnerved him, and for the first time in his life, he found himself being unable to fully trust people other than Kaze, Silas, Flora, Felicia, Jakob, and, of course, Azura.

Speaking of which, he saw little of the songstress during those days, which was the be expected, of course, with him travelling across the country speaking with the nobles, but still, there was an unbearable, Azura-shaped hole in his life, but it was worth it every time they stopped in New Gyges to pick up supplies. More often than not, they found themselves crashing their lips together, his hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close, and her hand on his chest, feeling the constant drumming of his heartbeat. But they were always forced apart by the inexorable march of time. Corrin had to return to the countryside to talk with the nobles, and Azura had to remain in the castle to complete the needed paperwork for the kingdom.

Thankfully, as time dragged on, more and more of the nobles had become more receptive to him, most likely because of words of goodwill passed onto the noble by his brothers. Just as the month gave birth to another, Corrin and his company found themselves standing within the court of their las noble, a daimyo—the Hoshidan equivalent of a duke or duchess—to be exact whose estate was located exactly on the border of New Valla. In front, it would've been possible for one to cross from New Valla into Hoshido simply by crossing the highway.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Jiro," Corrin said, slightly bowing his head. "I look forward to working with you in the future." Normally, he would've bowed, but with his status as the future king of Valla, such an action would've been taken negatively, especially with a noble as presumptuous as Jiro, a large, middle-aged man with the roots of his hair slowly turning gray. Even bowing his head was tantamount to showing weakness but based on what he was told about the man by Kaze, such an action seems polite.

Jiro shook his head, his chin wobbling. "No, I believe I should be the one thanking  _you_ , Prince—er, excuse me— _King_  Corrin."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "For what?" he asked, genuinely curious.

A glint sparkled in Jiro's eye as he gestured to one of Corrin's guards standing behind him, a relatively young Hoshidan with his black hair tied in a bun and a scar running down the length of his chin, blinding him in one eye. "For saving my son," Jiro said simply. "I'm…aware of my previous relationships with Nohrians, and though I do not regret such actions, I can see further actions would be…unrewarding, to say the least."

Corrin blinked again in surprise. "What are you saying?" he asked suspiciously.

Jiro shook his head and sighed deeply. "Once upon a time, I would've never trusted a Nohrian, much less one who seemingly came from the shadows, but I cannot ignore the fact that you've saved my son…or at least part of him, anyway."

Jiro suddenly broke out into a deep belly laugh and Corrin's jaw dropped. Behind him, the guard could barely hold back his own laughter as he silently looked at Corrin in the eye. Sensing the unasked question, Corrin made a  _go on_  gesture with his head, and the guard promptly broke away from the rest of his unit to stand beside his father, the family resemblance all the more apparent despite the difference in age and weight.

"Because my son is alive, I can promise you that you will have no trouble from either me or any of the other Hoshidan nobles in this area," Jiro said. Then, with another glint in his eye, he added, "And if there is trouble, mark my words, I will be the first one to strike back against those rebellious curs."

Corrin blinked once more, unsure of how to respond before he slowly smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, er, of course. Thank you, Lord Jiro."

Jiro simply shook his head and waved his hands dismissively. "If…if I could ask one more favor of you."

"What is it?"

Jiro glanced at his son, who after his initial outbreak of laughter, had faded into his normal, professional since. "Could…could you allow me to spend time with my son? Ever since he joined the Hoshidan army to fight the Nohrians, I've—"

"Of course," Corrin interrupted, forgetting who he was speaking to for a moment. "I know you must have been concerned for your son's wellbeing, especially after hearing about how we…lost many a good man during our invasion of Valla, and I completely understand your desire to see your son after all this time."

Jiro frowned. "Yes, well, about that invasion of yours…" He leaned in closer to Corrin, who was forced to lean in as well to listen to the daimyo's hushed words.

"I heard about how a Nohrian duke's estate was attacked shortly following your victory in Old Valla," Jiro whispered. "I've…probably sent ninjas to 'check' on them, but that was over three months ago now. They still haven't reported back, and I'm genuinely concerned that something might be wrong over there."

"Where is this Nohrian estate?" Corrin asked.

"Up north, in The Spine, the mountain range that acts as the natural barrier between Hoshido and Nohr," Jiro replied. "The land belongs to a duke named Eliwen, though I heard from my spies that he was recently recovering from an illness."

"You spied on a duke that far away?" Corrin asked, raising an eyebrow. "I hope you know that that part of the land isn't part of New Valla. It's part of Nohr."

"I know," Jiro replied simply. "But according to the spies I sent after the first group failed to return, they saw several Hoshidan ninjas among the estate's residents.  _Hoshidan_  ninjas!"

"And?" Corrin asked. "Maybe they were caught but when news of the war ending reached then, maybe they released them?"

"I thought so too as well," Jiro said, rubbing his chin, "but what alarmed me the most was that out of the group of four spies I sent to check on my ninjas' condition, only one lived long enough to return to me and tell me what happened before dying himself."

"'Dying?'" Corrin repeated. "How do you know he wasn't attacked by a wild animal or something on the way back? The Spine is perilous enough without adding in the fact that he most likely traveled across an entire continent."

"She," Jiro corrected, "And…she did, technically."

"What do you mean 'technically?'" Corrin asked, crossing his arms.

Jiro glanced behind himself before whispering, "Before news of the ceasefire reached our ears, some of my men chanced upon a caravan of those undead Vallite soldiers that Lord Ryoma described. The survivors talked about how they saw the undead fight, and what they looked like."

"Describe them," Corrin ordered, frowning.

"Well, one man said they were always invisible. You couldn't see them, but you could  _sense_  they were there, or at least that was what he managed to say," Jiro said. "According to the captain, they found a map which had Duke Eliwen's estate circled, but they weren't able to bring it back to me before the map suddenly dissolved into water, along with all the undead."

Corrin's frown deepened and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see," he said simply. "Are you saying that Anankos was preparing to attack Duke Eliwen's estate?"

Jiro shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "This all happened roughly one or two months ago."

"I see," Corrin said again. "And what does this have to do with this Eliwen's estate again?"

"Ah, of course!" Jiro said, rubbing his hands together. "So, my men managed to recover a crate of what looked like warp powder, an incredibly rare and potent substance that allowed one to, well, warp anywhere they wanted to. After several test runs over the course of a month or so, I…may have deemed them safe to use, and I allowed my four spies to use them to travel instantly to Duke Eliwen's estate."

"And what did they find?"

Jiro hesitated. "They…they were attacked immediately by both the estate guards and my own ninja," he finally admitted. "According to the survivor, one of her party was killed immediately upon warping and the other two were killed trying to defend themselves. What was interesting though was that the survivor said that all of the enemies looked like their eyes were glowing, but with the state of her injuries, we couldn't tell if she was delirious or not."

Corrin froze. "Did you say that their eyes  _glowed_?" he asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

Jiro nodded. "But then again, she was grievously wounded, so we couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not. I pray not."

Corrin turned away, thinking. He rubbed his chin as his eyebrows furrowed. "That's impossible," he muttered to himself. "We killed Anankos about four months ago. How could his servants still be alive?"

Turning back towards Jiro, he asked, "And when did this happen?"

Jiro blinked, seemingly taken aback by the sudden forcefulness of Corrin's tone. "About three months since I sent the ninja, and two since I sent the spies to check on them. Why?"

"Don't worry about it," Corrin said, brushing aside the noble's question and making him sound brusquer than he intended. Standing back up, he nodded towards Jiro's son, who nodded back.

"If you wish for your son to remain here with you, then so be it," Corrin said formally. "All I ask of you is that you provide more information on this matter as you learn more."

Jiro nodded and swallowed before standing him. He extended a hand towards Corrin, who firmly grasped it.

"Thank you," the older man said. "I will do my best to serve."

Corrin nodded silently but did not respond.


	17. Heir to A Dead Empire

"Lady Azura? Lord Corrin has returned from his trip," Felicia chirped from behind the door, with only her salmon-colored hair and top of her forehead visible from where she peeked out from behind the door.

Azura looked up from the paper she was reading. "Thank you, Felicia," she said.

The maid nodded again before withdrawing, the clack of her heels slowly fading away as she made her way down the stairwell. Azura took a moment and cocked her head, trying to see if she could hear the inevitable crash which signaled Felicia's characteristic clumsiness.

To her relief—and admittedly surprise— she heard no such sounds, so Azura stood up from where she was sitting at Corrin's desk—he had allowed her to use his workspace as his own—and walked briskly to the door, trying to prevent herself from bounding or skipping as a result of her excitement.

Ever since Corrin's departure, there has been an aching Corrin-shaped hole in her life, and without his constant optimism, adorable dorkiness, gentle voice, and warm hands, Azura found her current everyday life somewhat… _lacking_. Sure, there were some highlights during Corrin's absence, such as her being able to successfully close a deal with Nestra regarding the destruction of Cyrkensia, but without Corrin at her side, she felt…incomplete. Empty.

Blinking away the spots in her eyes as she emerged into the bright sun, Azura rose a hand to shield her eyes from the glare as she spotted a dark blur approaching her. Said dark blur slowly turned into three dark blurs, and those blurs then sharpened into the silhouettes of Corrin, Silas, and Kaze.

Azura could not contain herself any longer, and she recklessly leapt forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she launched herself at Corrin. His eyes widened in surprise and pleasure as her arms wrapped around him, and he was all he could do to keep as balance as the two of them staggered back and forth like a pair of drunk dancers.

Laughing, Azura looked up at him, his hands automatically resting themselves on the small of her back and her hands resting on his chest and shoulder. "Took you long enough!" she chirped as she pecked him on the cheek. In the background, she saw Felicia and Mozu similarly move towards their respective beaus.

"Sorry," Corrin apologized cheekily, complete with that endearing grin to boot. "Apparently, having the future king returning home is a big deal, so Kaze, Silas, and I sort of got held up at the castle gate."

Laughing again, Azura tucked her head against Corrin's, and when they touched foreheads, one thing led to another and before they knew it, they found themselves eating dinner outside of Corrin's study, on his balcony. The setting sun cast a beautiful shadow across Corrin's face, and Azura found herself being distracted by the sight of Corrin more often than not, and when she snuck a glance at him when she knew he wasn't paying attention, it gratified her that he looked at her the same way as well.

Yet despite the cheer, she couldn't help but feel a certain…edge to their normally easy conversation. Though Corrin's voice remained as easy as it always did, and his caresses as gentle as ever, Azura noticed more than once how when he thought she wasn't looking, he would frown and look down at his plate of food, his eyebrows knitting together in a way that Azura knew he was thinking deeply about something. Finally, unable to bear the edge any longer, Azura took Corrin's hand in her own and squeezed it.

"Hey," she called, causing Corrin to look back up at her. She took his hand in her own and squeezed it. "You look distracted. What's wrong?"

Corrin opened his jaw to say something, then closed it, then opened it again before closing it and shaking his head. Azura's eyes narrowed and she dug her nails into the back of his hand.

"What's wrong?" she repeated, this time letting a bit of steel slide into her voice. "You don't normally look this distracted."

She knew she wasn't actually hurting Corrin with her feeble human nails, especially when one considers the fact that she's basically trying to scratch the scales of a dragon, but he still humored her anyways.

"I was talking to Lord Jiro, one of the last nobles on my trip," he admitted. Looking away towards the sunset, the wind rustling his hair.

Azura nodded, making a  _go on_  gesture.

"And…he said something that concerned me," Corrin continued. "A lot."

"What did he say?" Azura asked. "I take it the conversation went well?"

"Oh no, it went fantastic," Corrin said mildly. "Apparently, one of the soldiers who survived Valla with us was his son, so he was pretty grateful for that."

"And?" Azura prompted, sensing something more. "Did he give you his support?"

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, which means that since I managed to turn one of the more influential nobles over to our side, it should mean we'll have no more trouble—at least from the Hoshido side of things."

"That's good," Azura noted. "So what are you so upset about?"

"I'm not upset," Corrin retorted mildly. "I…Jiro told me something that makes me feel…afraid."

Azura frowned. Corrin was one of the bravest people she ever knew. It's not as if he willingly chose to fight back against a mad dragon, after all. To have him afraid of something meant that something was  _very_  wrong.

She reached over with her other hand and covered his larger hand with hers. "What're you afraid of?" she asked gently. "Are you still on about your father?"

Corrin shook his head, his long white hair swishing back and forth. "No, I've accepted him as who he was a long time ago. It's...just that Jiro said that an estate in Northern Nohr was attacked by what looked like Anankos' servants."

Azura's vision sharpened in on Corrin's concerned face as he looked at her. She squeezed his hand even harder as she said steely-quietly, "Tell me."

And so Corrin told her. He told her about how Jiro sent a group of ninjas, how the Hoshidan daimyo's forces chanced upon a caravan of Vallite puppets ferrying warp powder North, how he spent a month experimenting with it, and how his spies were attacked and killed as soon as they tried to investigate the missing ninjas. Throughout his entire report, Azura's hand slowly whitened as she continued to squeeze Corrin's hand.

Finally, he asked her stop, and Azura looked down in surprise to see the tips of Corrin's fingers turning purple.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, surprised at her sudden strength. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"It's fine," Corrin said, chuckling tiredly. "You didn't mean it."

Azura pursed her lips as she leaned back, arms crossed as she did the math. "We killed Anankos roughly four months ago, and according to Jiro, he sent ninjas to check on a Nohrian manor that was attacked at around the same time. At the same time, he discovered the warp power by attacking some of Anankos' soldiers. That was over three months ago. He sent his spies two months ago, and they were attacked by both the manor guards  _and_  Hoshidan ninjas. Is that right?"

Corrin nodded as he idly twirled a knife between his fingers. "Correct," he confirmed. "Normally, this wouldn't concern me, but the sole survivor of the group of spies that Jiro sent out reported that the manor guards and ninja had glowing eyes before she died. And if there's one thing we know about those who possess glowing eyes..."

"It's that they're under the influence of Anankos," Azura finished. "But that's impossible!" she added. "You saw what happened when you killed Anankos! All of his soldiers disintegrated with him."

"Don't you mean when  _we_  killed Anankos?" Corrin asked cheekily. "Last I heard, you were fighting just as hard as me or the rest of the army. You have to take  _some_  credit for yourself, Azura."

Azura waved aside his objection with a hand. "That's not important right now," she said dismissively. "When the first search party rescued Otis and his group of slaves in Valla, we saw Hans murdering them.  _Hans_ , Corrin. The Nohrian executioner—"

"The one I killed myself," Corrin finished. "The one who threw me into the Bottomless Canyon in the first place—yes I know. But that's impossible as well. I  _decapitated_  him, Azura. There's no way he could've returned without—"

Suddenly, Corrin's face went slack before he rested an elbow on the table to support his head in his hand. Azura recognized that look. It was a look she had seen many times when Corrin shifted from dorky-cuddly-half-dragon mode into serious-no-nonsense-military-leader mode.

"What's wrong?" she asked, starting to feel tense herself. Her eyes widened as she began to connect to dots.

Corrin grasped her hand in his own as he stared intensely into her eyes. "I remember reading something about bringing the dead back from the void," he said. "They said something about how it was impossible unless the caster wished to snuff their own lives out in the process, but Anankos was already dying when we struck him down, right?"

"Yes," Azura deadpanned. "That's…what it means to kill something. You make them die."

"Yes, yes, but bear with me for a second, Azura," Corrin said, waving his hands to the side. "According to Leo, humans can only cast so many spells in a row before dying or falling unconscious because of the strain magic takes on the body, but Anankos was a god, wasn't he? We don't know if he was bound by the same limits humans are bound to. If not, and if he knew he was dying, how do we know that he didn't use the last of his life force to raise Hans and other people like him from the dead?"

"Corrin…"

Corrin's eye widened. "What happens if he managed to resurrect Garon? Or worse, one of his retainers like Iago or Zola? I mean—"

"Corrin!"

Corrin flinched as Azura yelled his name. She rarely rose her voice at him, so her sudden increase of volume was something unfamiliar to him. "Y-yes?"

Azura sighed, the strand of hair that was always in front of her face blowing to the side as she rose up from where she was sitting on the other side of the table and walked towards him. She rested a hand on his shoulder, noting the unnatural tightness of the tendons there and cupped Corrin's cheek in her palm.

"Don't worry, Corrin," she said soothingly. "If Anankos' influence  _is_  still out there, we'll find it and snuff it out for sure this time."

"But how do we know it won't turn out like the past?" Corrin asked. "I mean—"

"Before, Hoshido and Nohr were at war with each other," Azura reminded. "It would've been easy for Anankos to sow chaos, especially since no one other than the surviving Vallites knew of his existence, but now that everyone knows of his crimes, it will be infinitely more difficult for Anankos to manipulate us as he did before.  _Plus_ , Hoshido and Nohr aren't at war with each other anymore, remember?  _You_  brought the two together Corrin. If Anankos is still out there, we'll find him and end him. Together."

Corrin swallowed as Azura brought his head to her stomach. As Azura twirled the hair at the back of his head around her finger, he mumbled into her stomach, "But what about New Valla? After losing so many the first time we fought Anankos, how do we know that won't happen a second time."

Azura pursed her lips, unsure of how to respond. Unlike Corrin, she was no military strategist. Sure, she knew tactical advantages on the battlefield when she saw them, but most of them were common sense. It doesn't take a grandmaster tactician to see that mounted units would do poorly in heavily forested areas.

"I don't know," she finally admitted. "But like I said, if Anankos is still out there, Hoshido and Nohr will work together with New Valla to end him once and for all. We won't be alone this time, I promise."

Corrin said nothing but allowed himself to bury his head in Azura's arms again as she absentmindedly hummed a tune into his ear.

* * *

Two weeks after Corrin's return to New Gyges, he was coronated in a great square near the center of the fledgling city, in full view of a vast crowd of people, from both Nohr and Hoshido alike. The ancient crown that was once a sign of Vallite royalty had been lost or destroyed years ago, so the finest metalworkers from both Hoshido and Nohr had worked together to create a new crown, wrought from silver and iron with flecks of black obsidian and ebony branching across the surface of the metal. With the circlet itself was nothing special, what  _was_  special was how it was forged so that it resembled a dragon's horns, complete with tiny prongs reminiscent of Corrin's whenever he transformed.

The ceremony was simple, but all the more effective because of it. Corrin approached on foot from the direction of the city gate. Corrin had gained two new sets of armor: one for combat, which he could barely hide his sudden distaste for—after everything, it didn't feel right to take up arms again so soon after peace was accomplished—and another fancier, more ceremonial set. The ceremonial set was, like his old armor which he had retired and was currently resting on an armor stand next to Yato and his old blue cape, a suit of form-fitting black and white plates fitted together to resemble the bones or scales of a dragon, but unlike his old armor, the entire suit was a bit bulkier and was tinged sapphire blue and had a rather dashing cerulean cape attached to the back with the national symbol of Valla stitched on the back.

A slow drumbeat sounded as Corrin walked up to the dais that had been erected in the center of the square. Normally, they would've used the one that already existed in the throne room, but centuries of age and disuse meant the stone was cracked and ready to give way, which necessitated the change in location. Azura and Corrin had already ordered stoneworkers to restore the old dais.

On the dais was a an old stone throne, the edges still as rigid and unforgiving as it had been nearly two decades ago. This was the original throne that had rested in Old Valla and had been heavily destroyed during Corrin and a possessed Gunter's fight, though it was mostly Corrin responsible for the minor cracks and chips that pockmarked the ancient throne. Azura and Corrin had discussed at great length over whether or not it was worth the effort to reclaim the ancient throne. Eventually, Corrin said that the throne would serve as a reminder of Valla's old glory, and Azura had agreed, deciding it would hearten the surviving Vallites to see that yet another relic of their past as survived Anankos' wrath.

At the top of the dais, next to throne, stood Azura and Otis, with Elise, Sakura, Takumi, Leo, and the four representatives Xander, Camilla, Hinoka and Ryoma had sent in their place in front of the raised platform. The four elder siblings were unable to attend the coronation, to Corrin's dismay, but he understood their reasons. Xander had to essentially rebuild nearly the Nohrian court, and Ryoma had to soothe the populace. Camilla and Hinoka both had to remain in Hoshido to assist Ryoma with the people, many of whom were still enraged at Queen Mikoto's death and at the fact that Ryoma had brought home with him Camilla, a Nohrian. One of Ryoma's letter that they intercepted hinted at the start of a rebellion growing among the farmers and minor nobles, and Xander and Corrin had immediately sent troops to aid Ryoma.

Corrin ascended the dais, then knelt before Azura. Otis formally presented Azura with the newly made crown, which she placed upon Corrin's head, letting her hands stroke his cheek briefly before withdrawing. As Azura took in a deep breath in preparation of her line, Corrin winked at her and mouthed  _You got this!_

Azura couldn't help but smile even as she proclaimed: " _Rise now as king, Corrin, house of Minamoto and Aurelius."_

A fanfare of trumpets rang forth, and the gathered crowd—which had been deathly quiet up until this point—began to cheer. Even Takumi and Leo cracked a rare smile at the sight of their brother standing proudly before the people, his armor and crown glinting in the sunlight. Sakura yelped as Elise pulled her into a merry little dance, and Felicia and Flora both hugged each other tightly before separating in favor of their respective lovers, Silas for Felicia and Jakob for Flora.

Then Corrin sat upon the throne, not bothering the hide the grimace as his back touched the cold stone, or when his arms rested upon the rigid and unforgiving armrests. The representatives came before him and swore their respective nation's allegiance, following by Jiro and the rest of the other nobles Corrin had spoken to during his month-long trek around New Valla, who each pledged the friendship and support of their respective powers.

The event affected Azura strongly, and she found herself holding back tears as she gazed at Corrin sitting regnant on the throne. Only with his coronation did it finally feel as if the specter of Anankos' oppression had begun to recede.

With a small smile and a single tear of happiness rolling down her cheek, Azura silently stepped back into the shadows cast by the castle, content with remaining unseen by the public eye.

Afterward, they feasted, and people from all three kingdoms celebrated throughout the night and into the next day. Azura remembered little of the festivities save for the dance Corrin had roped her into, the ring Silas gave to Felicia at the dawn of the next day, and the four Faceless Leo had magically conjured and ordered to climb a tower along the city wall and there stood blowing horns made from the metal of their masks. At first, people were alarmed, but seeing the admittedly amusing sight of the monsters cavorting among themselves in an ancient Nohrian waltz, their unease soon subsided, until Leo decided to  _experiment_  with sake and caused the magical constructs to dissipate into thin air, letting their heavy metal horns falling nearly a hundred feet to the ground below.

Luckily, nobody was hurt, but there was an unsightly hole in the roof of one of the nearby houses. Corrin had been annoyed—mildly furious would've been more honest—but with him already downing several shots of some Nohrian ale himself, he found himself unable to wake the snoring Leo.

The people of the city joined in the celebrations as well, and among them, mostly the Vallites, Azura saw relief and jubilation that the end of the long night has finally come, and that dawn of a new day was beginning. And underlying their emotions, and those of everyone present, was an awareness of the importance of the moment, for they knew they were witnessing the end of one age and the beginning of another.


End file.
